Your Greatest Passion
by luciebell-writes
Summary: When Oswald Cobblepot finds himself cast off with nowhere to go, he seeks refuge with one of Mooney's dancers. Oswald and Josephina's alliance may become the strongest Gotham has ever seen; however her kindness may also come back to haunt her, causing Jo to choose whether she wants to help Gotham or join forces with its key players to take the city for herself.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**Hello, although I've got my final exams starting in 3 weeks, I couldn't resist posting this fir****st chapter to my new story.**

**This is an idea that I've been thinking of for a while now so I'm happy to finally be starting it! Just to clarify, this takes place starting from the pilot episode of Gotham and I'm trying to keep it as accurate to the show and comics as I can; although I plan to put my own twist on a few things too. Also, it took me ages to write for Oswald and Fish because I want to get their characters across as accurately as possible - hopefully I did a good job.**

**I've only ever written fanfictions for the Ace Attorney games and I imagine that I'll be writing for a quite different audience in some cases, so this will definitely be different for me, but hopefully you all like it!**

**If you haven't read anything I've written before, you'll know that I enjoy receiving reviews as they help me to improve and to know what my readers like/dislike about what I'm doing. So if you ever have a spare minute to write a review, please do so because I usually reply and it means a lot to me.**

**Thank you and please enjoy!**

* * *

"Good afternoon, Oswald," Jo greeted the umbrella guy with a warm smile as she had done every afternoon since he had taken up the position at Mooney's nightclub. Truth be told, it was no coincidence that Oswald always arrived at work at the same time as Jo. Because of thorough planning, he had been able to calculate the time that she arrived at work; therefore enabling him to greet Jo every day.

Josephina Carnell had been working for Fish Mooney for several years now; although she started off working as a cleaner before her sudden promotion to performer. She was a slender young woman with long ombre hair and the most beautiful green eyes that Oswald had gazed upon many times. Each night she'd take to the stage in exotic outfits and dance about the stage; sometimes singing a song as well as. The umbrella boy would often try to watch the shows – he loved the music, he loved the way the dancers moved about the stage. But most of all, Oswald Cobblepot loved the way that Jo seemed to look at him – kind yet somewhat alluring – whether that was her intention or not. After the entertainment had finished, Jo tended to go upstairs into a private room to further entertain an interested client. It didn't take Oswald long to realise what went on behind those doors and when he did, his fascination with her only grew. The thought of someone else alone with Jo often frustrated him and, on more than one occasion, Oswald found himself escorting her to the room and, if Fish didn't call for him, he'd wait outside in case something went wrong – or at least, that's what he insisted.

"Good afternoon, Josephina." Oswald replied, walking closely beside her. "How are you?"

"I'm well thank you, Oswald."

"And how is your mother?" He asked, desperate to be as formal as possible around the young woman.

"She's also fine. I hope your mother is alright as well." Jo replied, taking off her jacket.

He smiled, "yes, she is very well. You look lovely today…n-not that you don't always look nice but…I rather like the dress that you're wearing."

Jo smiled politely; she didn't want to be rude but she needed to start preparing for the performance tonight.

Oswald could sense Jo's flaking interest in their conversation. He wanted her to stay and talk for him a little while longer because he liked hearing her; the soft accent she bore was gentle on his ears. Not to mention the fact that he enjoyed looking at her.

To keep Josephina around for a few minutes more, Oswald decided to play a risky card. "Terrible business with the Wayne murders, isn't it?"

Jo nodded, her face serious. "Definitely, that poor boy. Although, they arrested Mario Pepper so quickly…too quickly if you ask me. I just hope they haven't got the wrong man."

Oswald thought for a moment, "what if I was to tell you that Mario Pepper was framed?"

"…Who would do that?" She asked quietly; although, deep down, she had a good idea as to who was behind the cover-up.

He turned his head, gesturing towards Fish who was sat in the other room. "I believe that two detectives are also involved." He whispered, "although Fish is certainly behind this."

Knowing of the danger that they were both under for possessing this knowledge, Jo placed a hand on Oswald's shoulder. "You can't tell anyone else about this, alright? Especially not the authorities."

"Why ever not?" Oswald frowned, confused; he already had reported his findings to the MCU earlier that day. And Jo just couldn't help but feel sick as she recognised the all-too familiar look of a dead man. Oswald was going to die. It was common knowledge that Fish Mooney didn't tolerate thieves or snitches.

Why was Jo looking at him like that?

"Oswald…" She blinked back the tears forming in her green eyes; how could she tell him that he was about to be murdered? Instead, Jo softly kissed his cheek before disappearing into the dressing room.

Despite feeling confused by Jo's sudden behaviour, Oswald was too pleased to register the underlying feelings – she had just kissed him after all. It had been a small gesture, but a kiss nonetheless.

* * *

An hour later, Jo and the other girls were practising their routine onstage when Fish asked them to momentarily leave the stage. "A young man is coming in for an audition." She explained, sending the dancers on their way. "Jo, can I speak with you a minute, darling?"

She nodded, feeling a tightening in her chest. Did Fish know? She noticed Oswald lingering at the back of the room, watching her; so he was still alive but…did Fish know that she knew about the Mario Pepper setup?

"What is it, Ms. Mooney?"

"Take a seat next to me." Fish patted the empty chair and shooed Oswald away. Without hesitation, Jo sat down on the chair and forced a smile; although she kept silent. "I've grown quite fond of you, Jo. You're a sweet girl…" she tilted her head to the side. "You'd never lie to me, would you?"

"Of course not, Ms. Mooney. I'm very grateful to you." Jo insisted, glancing over at Oswald who continued to stare longingly at her.

"I've been told that the authorities are aware of something I did. My good friend Detective Bullock seems to think that someone here snitched." Fish lowered her voice, "I need you to use your charm to find out which one of these lowlifes ratted me out."

Jo nodded in acceptance; although she knew that Fish could've already been aware of what she knew. Of what Oswald did. Did Jo really have it in her to rat such a sweet man out? Even if keeping silent could've cost her her life…

Again, she glanced over at Oswald before lowering her voice. "…Please forgive me, I-I already know who the snitch is."

Fish raised an eyebrow, both angry that she hadn't informed her earlier and impressed at how the performer already held the information she wanted.

"Oswald, Ms. Mooney…he did it." Jo mumbled under her breath, anxiously avoiding Oswald and Fish's gaze.

Unbelievably, Fish seemed to instantly believe Jo's words and cupped her face in her hands. "I knew I could trust you, dear. I promise to remember this."

"What are you going to do, Ms. Mooney?" Jo asked quietly; although she knew full well what was about to happen. What poor Oswald's fate was.

"I wouldn't want you to trouble yourself with such details, darling." Fish smiled and pointed to the door. "You may leave now. I'll see you later."

Jo nodded gratefully and stood up, unable to look back at Oswald as she left the room. However, she made sure to stand outside the door, listening to the grave conversation that was about to follow.

Fish then beckoned Oswald over; he shuffled over, seemingly unaware of Jo's betrayal and his boss' awareness. "You're like a son to me. You know that, Oswald?"

Oswald smiled, "I feel that way also, Ms. Mooney."

Fish's smile faltered and she shook her head. "Which is why I don't understand. After all I've done for you…you betray me."

"I…I don't know what you mean." Oswald stammered, realising the seriousness of Fish and Jo's conversation.

"It was you. You snitched to the MCU."

Jo hung her head, waiting for Oswald to plead for forgiveness – or for him to turn the tables and pin the blame on her instead – he did neither. Or rather, he didn't get the chance. She heard the crash of a chair as Fish swung it at Oswald, knocking him to the ground. Peeking round the corner of the door, Jo clearly saw Fish beating Oswald with a baseball bat, his cries of pain horribly loud.

Of course she felt guilty; this was only the start of Oswald's painful journey but, as she'd learned in Gotham, everyone had to look out for themselves. The city was a constant battlefield. And for a woman like Josephina, protection was necessary at all times – securing that was her main priority. Hence why she was so easily able to turn Oswald over to Fish: her job provided money and safety.

Which was essential for every citizen of Gotham, especially at times like these.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**My habit of late-night uploading is the best. I'm trying to post as much as possible before my May hiatus so this chapter was written today, straight after the first one. **

**This chapter involves episodes 2 and 3 but after this I may stray away and use like 3 chapters for one episode's worth of time since these first few chapters are just introducing you all to the story and Josephina.**

**Hopefully you all like this story, I'm trying my best to make it both accurate and entertaining, so please let me know if it's good or if there are some improvements that I need to make. Opinions are welcome here so long as they're put across in a nice way :)**

* * *

Oswald lie awake, staring at the ceiling that had been adorned with newspaper clippings regarding the city he called home. The past 24 hours had certainly been quite…strenuous for Oswald to say the least and now he found himself alone in a rented trailer, waiting for the right time to return to Gotham. He had many questions spinning around in his mind; like why Fish was able to so easily toss him aside, and why Detective Gordon had chosen to spare his life. Then he thought of Josephina. He knew it was her that had told Fish of his earlier action of snitching to the MCU. He knew how scared the beautiful dancer must have been to help sentence him to death at the hands of the two detectives. However, Oswald just wished that Jo would've shown him one last act of devotion before he was taken away. She'd stood there, frozen, as he was dragged from Mooney's nightclub yet she hadn't shed a single tear. Oh how Oswald wished Jo had ran desperately to his side, pleading with Fish and Falcone to spare his life. She'd cry for him and perhaps even bestow one last tender kiss before letting the hulking men drag her love away forever. Such an ending would've made Oswald's pain all worthwhile.

But Jo was scared; that much was evident. She couldn't have intervened otherwise her own life would've also been over, Oswald completely understood that.

However, for now, he'd have to settle with that single kiss on the cheek that she'd given him that afternoon. Although it didn't matter; as soon as Oswald made his return to Gotham as a leader, Josephina's soft kisses would be regular. She'd be his partner, his lover.

* * *

However, since Oswald's death, Jo had felt little remorse for her part in the murder. While she knew that a kind-hearted man had stared down a gun barrel because of her, her reasons were easily-justifiable. Upon learning of his death, Detectives Montoya and Allen had been leading the investigation; thoroughly sifting through any valuable information they could gather. When it was her turn to be interrogated, Jo couldn't help but panic as she entered the grey room and took her seat across from the two detectives.

"Miss Carnell, is it?" Montoya asked, looking over the young woman.

"That's right…good afternoon." She smiled warmly yet avoided any eye contact, thinking over what Fish had told her to say should the detectives ask her about Oswald's snitching.

"You worked with Oswald Cobblepot at Mooney's nightclub correct?" Montoya immediately fired the first question, noticing Jo's unease with the situation. "Did you know him very well?"

"Not really, no. We spoke often but only basic chatter, you know, how's your mother, what're you doing at the weekend…stuff like that."

"And what about Fish Mooney, what's your relationship with her?" Allen said, leaning back in his chair as Jo shifted uncomfortably in hers.

"Ms. Mooney is like a mother to me." Jo stated, her face suddenly deadly serious – it was as if she'd rehearsed everything she was about to say. "She's like a mother to every one of her employees. She loves us all dearly. You don't think she could've had Oswald taken away, do you?"

After she had played her cards right, and shed a crocodile tear or two over Oswald, Josephina strolled out of the interrogation office and headed for the door. However, the performer was stopped by Gordon and Bullock on her way out.

"What can I do for the two of you?"

Harvey chuckled, taking her innocent question as a hidden innuendo. "I don't know, you tell—"

Jim nudged Harvey, silencing him quickly. "We're just inquiring as to what you told the Detectives in there."

"You mean, you want to know what I know?" Jo shrugged, "can't help you Jim."

"…You know who I am." Cautiously, Jim looked over at Harvey, then back to the young woman.

"I do."

"Listen sweetheart, you can quit playing games with us." Harvey interjected, sensing that Jo knew everything.

Jo glanced around her and lowered her voice. "Yes, okay? I know what the two of you did…"

"Cobblepot's murder wasn't down to us. I had no choice." Jim attempted to explain, fearing what the performer would do with this information. It could certainly benefit her if she turned the two detectives in.

After a moment of processing what had just been said, Jo raised an eyebrow. "I was talking about Mario Pepper. About the frame job."

The two detectives exchanged grim looks; they had just unwittingly told the young woman about their part in Oswald's murder – well, Jim's part.

"You killed Oswald? So he's actually dead then…" Jo thought for a moment; was this really such a bad thing? Sure, two detectives that were supposed to protect the city had already aided in the killing of two of Fish Mooney's enemies but, on the other hand, this clarification would be very beneficial for Fish – and Jo herself. With Oswald well and truly gone because of her snitching, Jo could continue her journey into Fish's inner circle – thus gaining further protection for when her boss took over from Falcone. It was going to happen soon, and it truly was inevitable. Even if Josephina had a feeling that she'd somewhat miss Oswald.

* * *

Oswald Cobblepot arrived in Gotham the following day. Stepping off the city bus, he realised that crime and debauchery surrounded him. But still, it was home.

Within one hour, he'd already so carelessly silenced a man from turning him over to Fish; although Oswald knew that there were more people that he had to watch out for. And a certain woman whose loyalties he'd have to test. While he was fascinated by Jo, infatuated with her even, Oswald knew that her faithfulness was…unclear at best. Therefore a house call was just what she needed, even if it was extremely risky.

That night, Oswald waited outside Mooney's Nightclub, tucked away in the darkest shadows like some predator stalking his one true prey. The rain trickled down from the grey sky calmly, as if to ease the day's tensions and wash away the city's sins – ready for the next day. Its delicate sound was almost soothing to Oswald; as if he could remember his previous occupation as Fish's umbrella boy.

After half an hour, the performers left the club – either alone or with Fish's men – however, Oswald could still make out the familiar, slender silhouette of Josephina's body. She was just standing there; seemingly lost in her own deep thoughts.

_Perhaps she regrets what she did. She misses me…_

But before Oswald could make a move, he heard the loud cackles of two other dancers emerge from inside the club. "Oh I wish I had an umbrella right about now…" One of the women said, holding her hand out as if she could catch the raindrops.

"We could use that umbrella boy about now, am I right?" The taller girl laughed again, obviously finding amusement in her own words. Oswald believed her name was Angel; a tall red-headed dancer with a habit of gossiping and bitching.

The other dancer, Kitty, joined in, making fun of Oswald also. "I bet you're relieved that Fish's umbrella guy has been bumped off, Jo." She took a puff of her cigarette, "he always gave me the creeps."

"I wouldn't say relieved. He was a sweet guy." Jo replied, straightening her skirt.

"But he totally had a thing for you. He was so…clingy and desperate around you."

"Shut up, Kitty. He did not." Shaking her head in amusement, Jo let out a wry laugh. "Oswald just wanted a friend and I was nice enough to talk to him every now and then."

"Um, have you been in a coma for the last few years? Jo, he'd _always _wait for you to arrive every day just so he could talk to you." Kitty insisted, her hand on her hip.

"And stare at your…beautiful features…" Angel smirked and snatched the cigarette from Kitty, taking a long drag before continuing. "One time I caught him outside the private rooms. He was, ahem, listening to you and some rich guy going at it. And when I confronted him about it he freaked out. Bless him it was pathetic."

"I'm sure that dirty pervert Gilzean and every other one of Fish's men has done that at least once. Give it a rest guys, jeez." Jo ran a hand through her long ombre hair, tired of her two friends' meaningless chatter. "Besides, like you said, he's dead now so why are we wasting our time going on about Oswald Cobblepot?"

Oswald watched as Jo said that without a care; like it was some simple, trivial fact that everyone knew about, but nobody was interested in. His fears were real – Jo was drifting away from him already. And the two dancers laughing away with her were a significant reason behind this; although Fish Mooney was the key component behind the strange new way that Jo was acting.

With a furrowed brow, Oswald watched as Angel left and Kitty linked her arm in Jo's before strolling down the street with her. "Are you sure you're okay? If you liked him, I won't judge."

Jo let out a chuckle, "Kitty, I did not like Oswald. He was nice but we were never more than friends…no, acquaintances."

"Alright, alright." Kitty grinned, "you need a rich guy anyway, someone with power. How about Don Falcone?" She laughed and Jo just couldn't resist allowing a small smile to appear on her face.

Then she thought of what Fish had told her, her plans to take the city from the old man's hands. "Not for long though…" Jo muttered under her breath, making sure that Kitty couldn't hear her.

Still lurking in the shadows, Oswald followed the two women back to their apartment block; his eyes locked on the carless way in which they strolled down the dimly-lit streets of Gotham. The whole time, he wished that he could be in Kitty's position – with Josephina's arm linked in his and her smile only for him. He'd tell her jokes, anecdotes and she'd laugh softly and listen intently to every word; the hem of her skirt riding a little above the knee because of the gentle breeze while her long hair tumbled freely down her shoulders.

When they reached their home, Oswald could hear the two women exchange their goodnights. It pleased him that they lived in separate apartments; this way, it'd be far easier for Oswald to catch Jo on her own. And since he couldn't bear to wait, tonight would be the night.

* * *

After a short wait, Oswald headed up the stairs and jimmied open the lock on Josephina's apartment window, slipping in as quietly as he could, although his bum leg made this more difficult than he'd expected. He heard no sound of movement so knew that the inhabitant was indeed asleep. Wandering around the room, Oswald admired the clean and modest way in which she lived; a small television, basic kitchen appliances and a small sofa that could probably seat only two individuals. Perfect. The performer seemed to leave all of the entertaining at work, clearly not having a lot of spare time to have guests over.

One of her corsets had been left on the sofa and Oswald just couldn't help but pick it up to admire the genius stitching, the way the material perfectly fitted around Jo's chest – hugging her figure. Despite himself, he brought the item to his face and inhaled the familiar scent of her perfume, his senses overwhelmed. Oswald was certainly home.

"Who's there…!" A voice spoke from the other side of the room; although they sounded firm, there was unmistakeably an inch of fear too. However, this voice distinctly belonged to Jo – how could he forget such a soft tone? Even if it was now full of anger and fear. Oswald heard a gun click and turned around towards the bedroom door, facing Jo directly.

For a moment she just stood there, frozen and stunned, before dropping her weapon in shock. "…Oswald? Y-You're dead…"

With a smile, Oswald held out his arms and bowed to her. "I'm right here, Josephina. I'm alive and home."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**This may be the last time I update anything on this site until June now because of my exams; although there may be one last sneaky chapter if I'm desperately trying to procrastinate. **

**Basically I want to show the different sides to Oswald's personality since he does have a tendency to jump from two extremes very suddenly. And Jo is still unsure how she feels about Oswald; he could be a good friend if he toned down the creepy.**

**Anyway, hopefully this is good(?), and please review if you can. And if you do follow/favourite this, I just want to let you know that I really appreciate it so thanks!**

* * *

"No…you can't be here. Jim Gordon shot you. He told me himself. You are dead." Jo couldn't stop shaking her head; insisting that Oswald was now just a figment of her imagination. Or some curse, come to haunt her for turning him in. Any explanation seemed possible but the truth: he was dead.

_This is what I get for snitching on him. For having him put down. _

"I'm very much alive and well." Oswald tilted his head to the side." I thought that you'd be happier to see me, Josephina." He smiled, waiting for Jo to break out in overjoyed tears and run to him in an embrace, just like in the movies. However she did nothing of the sort.

Instead Jo frowned and pointed towards the door. "It's late Oswald, you should leave."

"B-But I have nowhere to go…" He said glumly; feeling like this beautiful woman had just shot him down. "Please, Josephina. You're the closest thing I have to a-a friend."

"I can't do that Oswald." She sighed, moving towards the door so he'd get the hint. "Fish would kill me if she found out that I know that you're alive. Although this would be after she'd murdered you – for real – for being a snitch."

"I'd never let that happen. I can give you a companionship, I can protect you."

"You can hardly protect yourself, Oswald." Jo scoffed, tiring of his persistence. It was the bum leg that had given away his presence in her apartment in the first place, although Oswald had thought that he was being utterly silent in his snooping. "No, I want you gone."

Oswald hobbled over to the other side of the room, backing Jo against the door. "Companionship, friendship, an alliance…call it what you will."

"If you don't leave, I will call the police. Or Fish." She hissed, staring him down. "I've heard all about you…"

"No no you misunderstand, I mean you no harm, Josephina." Oswald insisted, feeling hurt with her coldness. "You shouldn't listen to rumours. People can be so cruel, I just want to help you…" He reached out to stroke her cheek but, on instinct, Jo immediately turned her head away in disgust – both because of the gesture, and because the man before her smelt of sewage from his recent swimming trip.

"I don't want your damn help..!" She snapped, pushing him backwards with both of her hands. "If I get tangled up in all this, my life will be at risk! My family could end up in danger! So no, Oswald, I'm not getting involved in whatever stupid plan you have."

While this new side to Jo startled him, Oswald had to admit that he liked it. He liked her sweet nature but this rough, defensive woman before him also seemed very attractive in his eyes. In fact, it was like she was stronger than she appeared.

Knowing that Jo wasn't quite ready to yield to him, Oswald backed off and decided to leave his offer of a partnership to one side for the time being. But there was still an issue that she had to help him with.

"…Please can I stay?"

* * *

In the end, Jo found herself giving Oswald her sofa; making sure to lock her bedroom door and slide the chair under the handle just to be safe. She knew he could be a very sweet guy but, after what Angel and Kitty had said – and the strange behaviour she'd just witnessed – the dancer didn't want to take any chances.

Speaking of her friends, would she tell them about Oswald's reappearance? And what about Fish? Jo couldn't afford to lose her job – or worse – because of the supposedly-dead umbrella guy who had a habit of snitching. Even letting him stay for the one night was risky enough; Kitty could see him leave in the morning or Oswald himself could waltz back up to Fish Mooney and declare his 'friendship' with her. With Oswald around, there were just too many dangers.

Unless she finished him off for good.

That would certainly prove her loyalty to Fish; potentially aiding Jo's ascend up the ladder of her boss' unit, as well as securing her own protection. And she'd be free of this alleged stalker of hers.

Climbing out of bed, Jo picked up her gun and slipped out of her bedroom, carefully approaching Oswald who slept peacefully on her sofa. She found a pocket noise beside him; clearly he too was prepared. Deciding that shooting him would attract too much suspicion – even in Gotham – Jo picked up his knife and flicked the blade open, pointing it at his chest. Oswald stirred a little but he didn't wake; he certainly was tired from the last few eventful days. She took a deep breath and prepared to end him once and for all. But she couldn't do it.

_What the hell is wrong with me? I need to get this over with and this is the perfect opportunity to do so._

Again, Jo raised the pocket knife and aimed in the right place to kill him. It was no use: she just wasn't a killer.

But Oswald was.

His eyes snapped open and he grabbed her wrists, pulling the dancer closer to him while an eerie grin spread from ear to ear. "I knew you were too good to be true. Too nice to harm me, Josephina." Grinning, he took the knife from Jo's hand and held it to her throat. "The way I see it, I'm the more powerful being. Or at least, I will be. Your friend did say that you needed a lover with power…" He moved the blade into contact with her skin, although he didn't use enough force to break through.

Jo knew she wasn't strong enough to fight Oswald for the blade, nor was she in a position to easily get away – despite his bum leg. Besides, from what she'd seen so far, he could be very unpredictable to say the least. This was the man who idiotically snitched on Fish and Falcone to the MCU after all, despite the obvious consequences. However, what Jo did know was that, if what her friends had said about him was true, Oswald would crumble if she did.

So Jo decided to force a few tears. "…You're scaring me." She watched his face change as she began to cry. "Y-You said that you wouldn't hurt me."

And with those words, Oswald did indeed lower the knife and set it down, seemingly shocked with himself for threatening to hurt Jo.

"I-I'm so sorry, Josephina. Please don't cry." Carefully, he pulled her onto the sofa with him, cradling her in his arms.

Although her crocodile tears were still falling, Jo felt sick at the supposedly comforting gesture but knew that she had to comply for the time being – or at least until he went back to sleep. Unfortunately, that didn't seem like it was going to happen anytime soon and instead Oswald guided Jo onto his lap while he petted her hair like she was some stray cat. Jo would be washing her hair as soon as Oswald left, that much was certain.

"I sincerely apologise for my behaviour. I-I sometimes get a little carried away. Please forgive me, Josephina."

"S'alright." Jo mumbled in reply, not willing to suck up to the man that just held a knife to her throat anytime soon – or ever, in fact. She wasn't just going to go weak at the knees for Oswald after he had just threatened her. Nor did he deserve her forgiveness just yet.

He gently turned her around to face him. "I care very much for you. I've seen the way other men treat you…you have to make sure that they're happy but they don't care about your feelings. Not like I do. I...I would gladly accept death if it meant keeping you safe. Anything you wanted, I'd make sure that you had."

While Oswald continued to give her the creeps, Jo couldn't help but somewhat agree with what he was saying. It was true that, as a performer, men only saw her as a piece of meat and that, since Oswald had started working as Fish's umbrella guy, he had been the only one to ask her how she was feeling every day. Nobody had done that for a long time. Not since her fiancé had died.

Oswald noticed the sadness in Jo's green eyes and pulled her closer, murmuring in her ear. "I'm going to become someone in this city sooner or later, you'll see. They will all see."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

**Exams start in 5 days for me but I've been taking breaks via writing. Well, I'm a literature student so I guess writing fanfiction kinda counts as studying? No, it probably doesn't actually but oh well.**

**I don't want this to be a slow read but I want to develop Jo and Oswald's relationship too so I'm taking my time, sort of, since it's quite problematic to begin with. This chapter is linked with ep 3 btw, so it's the day that Oswald gets the job at Bamonte's (although that's hinted and not actually mentioned.)**

**Thanks to the new followers by the way, it's given me hope that I can actually write for this show since this really is foreign territory for me since I'm used to writing for video games and now I've turned to gritty tv shows. But hey, I'm really having fun writing this :)**

**Ha I genuinely can't remember writing much of this chapter but enjoy! **

* * *

The next morning, Jo woke up on the sofa next to Oswald, his arms wrapped around her protectively.

_How the hell did this happen?_

Carefully, she prised herself away from him and clambered to her feet, stretching her arms. Sleeping on the sofa was always bad for causing muscle cramps - never mind when it was with another person – and a clingy person at that. Speaking of Oswald, Jo turned around and found that he was still deep in sleep so snuck away to get dressed.

Oswald heard the bedroom door close and opened his eyes. Poor naïve Josephina; she had assumed him to be sleeping. Although he wished that they could've lied together like that for a little while longer, his arms around her like she was his and his alone.

But it didn't matter because when Oswald reached the top, with all the power in his hands, there would be plenty of time to lounge around together.

Jo stepped into the shower, letting the cold water run down her body, cleansing her skin of Oswald's grimy touch. While she had to admit that it was nice to wake up next to someone who had not paid her money for the night, it unnerved her to have this should-be dead man in her apartment. Especially when it was apparently common knowledge that he had a thing for her – and the most bizarre ways of displaying this affection. She heard a shuffle from her bedroom so quickly stepped out of the shower, concealing her body with a towel.

"Oswald, what are you doing?" Jo asked, swinging open the bedroom door to find Oswald sitting on the edge of her bed. When he saw the young women in a towel his face flushed pink, although he didn't avert his eyes. Jo didn't care; many men had seen the same sight before after all.

Her attention was turned what was in Oswald's hands; the dress she had worn the day he had informed her of Mario Pepper's false arrest. Jo recalled how he had complimented her that morning. Clearly, he liked the dress.

"I think you should wear this today, Josephina." He mumbled an excuse, getting to his feet while holding out the baby blue dress to her.

"I can't Oswald, I have to work. Which means you have to go." Jo sighed and found herself pointing towards the door again. "I've got to work my day job so I can't babysit you."

"A day job? Where do you work?"

"My family's coffee shop." She replied starkly, still clutching her towel to her chest.

"How convenient! I'm in need of a job, are your family hiring? I…I could wash dishes or cook or serve drinks…"

Jo shook her head, "My mom gets enough help, thank you." She pushed him out of the bedroom, already running late.

"I could purchase the coffee beans…" Oswald said from the other side of the door, sounding more desperate by the minute. Jo sighed and began to change into her white blouse and skirt; feeling ready to kick her self-proclaimed lodger to the curb after just the one night. "I could promote the café to people passing by?"

Swinging open the bedroom door, Jo revealed an irritated frown as she again pointed to the front door. "Oswald, you need to go now. I said one night and I meant it."

"B-But…Josephina I am unemployed and homeless." Oswald protested, while taking in the sight of Jo in a freshly-pressed shirt, looking very conservative compared to her usual appearance.

"Why don't you go back to your mom, Oswald? I'm sure that she'd be relieved to know that you're alive."

"Mother and I didn't exactly leave things on good terms. She probably thinks I've run off with some whore."

"Well, she's not wrong. You are in _my_ apartment after all." Jo laughed, finding humour in her occupation.

However Oswald refused to listen to these jokes. "You're no whore, Josephina. I won't accept that."

"Oswald, what's your game?" Her face bore an intrigued smirk as she slowly walked closer to Oswald, watching him closely. While he got on Jo's nerves, his reasons for his fixation with her did interest her to an extent. After all, nobody had ever shown this much determination in pursuing her.

"M-My…what…?"

"Don't play it cute. What do you want from me?"

Oswald sucked in a breath; Jo's face was inches from his, she was evidently unafraid of him. He could smell her perfume: lavender, he was certain. In fact, Josephina was close enough to touch. It would've been so easy just to grab her waist and pull her into his embrace, stealing a kiss or two in the process. However, Oswald had a feeling that the performer could be just as unpredictable as him. So he backed off and allowed Jo to walk towards the kitchen cupboard. No protest, no fight.

"Would you like anything for breakfast?" Jo sighed, deciding that she should at least feed the pathetic Oswald before kicking him out. "I'm afraid I don't have a lot of food in at the moment. So it's either toast, fruit or I can try and fry some bacon?"

As Jo stood over the busted-up stove, frying his breakfast, Oswald couldn't stop admiring her. She was like a trophy that he was going to work for; eventually winning her after his toiling had ended. Oswald just couldn't stop imagining their future before their present had even begun. After work, Jo would be here waiting for him, with a meal on the table and a smile on her face. She'd kiss him on the cheek as he'd come through the front door, only bestowing such affection on Oswald; although the real tender moments would be spent in the bedroom...

"Oswald, are you paying attention to me?" Jo set the plate down in front of Oswald, waiting for him to respond to everything she'd been saying during his trance.

"This all looks very good, thank you Josephina."

"I can't have you leaving on an empty stomach. Wouldn't want to anger your mom." She tilted her head to the side with a smile; noticing how surprised Oswald seemed when Jo mentioned his mother. Was she actually going to kick him to the curb? "Don't mistake this act of kindness as anything more than me feeding you before you venture out into the cold streets of Gotham."

That confirmed it. Oswald watched as Jo picked up her purse and slipped into a jacket, not even sitting down to join him for breakfast; which Oswald wasted no time in finishing due to his lack of nutrition during his ordeal. Although this did create a significant amount of mess.

"You're like a child." Jo sighed and rubbed her handkerchief against his face, cleaning up the remainder of his breakfast. "Didn't your mother ever teach you basic table manners?" Despite her irritation at having to clean the face of a man significantly older than her, Jo couldn't help but smile at how childlike her self-proclaimed lodger could be; even if he also gave off an aura of instability. In an odd way, Oswald was kind of…cute.

As for Oswald, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her right there. Again, this was another perfect opportunity to do so; Josephina was within reach and she was actually behaving rather affectionate towards him. However, before Oswald could make his move, Jo moved away in order to clean up the remainder of his mess.

Once the dishes had been put away, Jo was finally able to make another attempt at leaving. And since Oswald had decided against pushing his luck in an attempt to stay in her apartment for a few days more, he allowed her to leave without a fuss. "Have a good day." Oswald called after her, his smile widening when Jo looked his way; smiling herself for a split second.

Despite her coldness towards him, Oswald knew that he was making progress with Josephina. While she was quite an indifferent woman, she clearly had a strong moral compass and a good heart – something which he especially loved about her. She was a tough woman but Oswald was determined to break into her head, to persuade her into being his partner in all this.

However, for now, Oswald would need to prove his worth. He'd need to find a suitable job; somewhere where he could be close to Falcone but also close to Josephina. It had to be somewhere influential and local – thus giving him good reason to stay with her.

* * *

Jo had to admit that she'd never been happier to go to work. The fact that a snitch had come back from a death sentence with the intention of being her lodger put her in a very difficult position; Oswald could be very irritable and if Fish were to find out about her part in all this, Jo would also be in a significant amount of danger – as would her mother.

It was evident that the only way out was to rid herself of Oswald but in order to do so, Jo would need to find someone that she could trust. An ally.

As if on cue, Detectives Gordon and Bullock entered the café, watching her intently. Of course she remembered them from the previous day; although they were just two men within the ever-growing list of corrupt cops in Gotham.

Jo rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen to hide. "Mom, some cops are here. I don't know if they wanna talk to you or…"

"Actually, Ms Carnell, we'd prefer to have a little chat with you." Harvey said, suddenly standing behind her.

"What has my Josephina been up to?" Jo's mother, Nora watched the two men closely, standing beside Jo protectively. "She's a very good girl, I can vouch for that."

It didn't take long for the two detectives to realise that Nora was unaware of her daughter's other job at Fish Mooney's Nightclub. Jo forced a smile, "I know for a fact that I've done nothing illegal. So whatever it is you want to say gentleman, I think you can do it here."

"If that's the case, I'll go and sort out these orders." Nora waved a few papers their way. "But if either of you upset my daughter, then you'll have me to answer to." She pointed her pencil at Harvey, then Jim as if to threaten them, before scurrying back out of the kitchen to serve her customers.

"It's rude to barge in here uninvited, you know. I have to work to make a living." Jo's smile fell and she folded her arms across her chest. "What do you want?"

"Standard procedure. We're checking up on you, to make sure that you're not in any danger." Detective Gordon explained, making sure that no other staff was within earshot.

"Oh, so that's police talk for we're making sure that you've not ratted us out to higher authority." Jo smirked, seeing right through their façade.

"So what if it is?" Detective Bullock asked carelessly. "You either answer the question now or you come down to the station for a chat."

"Harvey!" Jim could've hit his partner there and then; trying to pick a fight with someone so close to Fish was a dangerous game. Especially when she seemed so self-aware.

"Sorry to disappoint you but I have other things to think about. Not whether or not I should report you to those nice detectives…Montoya and Allen I believe their names were."

"For someone who spends a lot of time on her knees you sure like to backchat don't you." Harvey argued; unlike Jim, he wasn't afraid to challenge the performer.

Jo rolled her eyes, growing tired of her quick fire repartee with Harvey Bullock. "I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to tell anyone what I know."

"And why's that? You seem like a teacher's pet. The type that loves causing trouble." Detective Bullock insisted, watching Jo's movements closely.

She furrowed her brow and pointed to her mother. "She's why. If I get involved in all this shit with Falcone and Fish and you two corrupt cops then I'll be putting her in danger." Jo hissed, running a hand through her long ombre hair. "The only way to survive in Gotham is to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. In short, I'm turning a blind eye to everything, even though it's killing me. If not for me, then for my mom. I've seen the damage that knowing too much can cause; I'm not prepared to lose anyone else that I care about."

Then Nora returned, and with it so did the young woman's smile. It was as if, in her mother's presence, Jo's smile was an automatic action. "Can I help you gentlemen with anything else?"

The two of them got the hint, thankfully. "Thanks for your help, Ms Carnell." Jim said as Harvey headed for the door, still wary of Jo's mom who was giving them both a suspicious look. Detective Gordon followed Bullock outside, looking back at Jo one last time – at the look she'd had in her eyes the whole time. She was genuinely scared. And people living in fear were often the most unpredictable. The most dangerous under pressure.

Although he had been unsure as to why Josephina Carnell had been so jumpy during their talk, it all became clear to Jim later that evening when a certain someone paid him a house call.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**

**Oh my goodness, thank you for the increasing support on this! I was so surprised to get the email notifications regarding follows/favourites and lovely reviews but they made me so happy - especially since I'm in need of a nice pick-me-up since exams are all over the place at the moment. **

**So because I'm really grateful to you lovely readers and supporters, I decided to post this chapter a bit earlier than planned.**

**Since I don't want to babble on at the start, I'll continue my author's notes at the end of this chapter so if you want to read more of my ramblings, you're welcome to do so, haha.**

* * *

"Hello James, old friend."

Jim couldn't believe his eyes. Sure, he was the only one aware of his inability to pull the trigger on Oswald but he had specifically warned the umbrella boy to stay away from Gotham. So why was he standing there in his doorway, with that stupid, smug smile on his pale face? Why now?

After insisting on seeing him out, Detective Gordon wasted no time in getting some answers.

"Gotham is my home." Oswald stammered as Jim pushed him against the wall. "I…I came back to protect someone. Someone I care deeply about. Because, as I said, there will be chaos in due time."

At first, Jim had assumed this someone to be Oswald's mother. Gertrud hadn't mentioned a significant other of Oswald's to them, nor did he seem like the type to have a girl waiting for him at home. Well, technically he still didn't.

However, it didn't take him too long to do the math. In fact, the identity Oswald's protégée seemed so blindingly obvious after the nervous way she'd acted just hours before. "Josephina Carnell. She's your ally." Jim breathed, unable to believe that the seemingly timid girl who had preached the importance of turning a blind eye to all of Gotham's crimes just earlier that day, was in cahoots with Oswald Cobblepot. Or perhaps, they were even closer than that.

"You're very smart, Detective Gordon. I know I can trust you, so please trust me too." Oswald stammered, shivering in the cold Gotham night. "Falcone will soon fall and his rivals will start a war over this city - our home is in danger."

* * *

Whilst Oswald was bargaining with Jim Gordon, Jo found herself working her usual shift at Fish Mooney's; although things were far from normal for the performer now. Oswald was alive. Fish had ordered him dead yet Detective Gordon had failed to do so. And now he was living with her. So where did this leave Josephina?

Her evening job provided her with significant income, as well as the safety net she needed for when Falcone was finally pushed out of the picture. While she didn't necessarily trust Fish, Jo did like her character; she was a strong and powerful woman who always stood her ground and took action when needed. Jo saw Fish Mooney as her role model in a sense – she was exactly who the young woman aspired to be. A woman with enough power to withstand the storm that was approaching. Someone who was able to frighten the living daylights out of people while still maintaining an aura of elegance. That was exactly who Jo wanted to be.

She thought of what Oswald had said to her; how he'd promised her protection and a beneficial alliance. Could she really trust him to do everything that he'd said? And if he did hold up his end of the bargain, what would Oswald want from her in return. If Jo had learnt anything from her years of toiling, it had been that nothing is free. Everything has a price. So what was Oswald's?

"Hey Jo, Fish wants a word before we open." Kitty entered the dressing room and began to change into her costume for the evening. She noticed the way her friend seemed to be in another world; hardly paying any attention to what was going on around her. "…You okay?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Jo forced a smile and stood up from the dressing table, quickly fixing her hair into a tight ponytail.

Kitty shrugged, "you tell me. You haven't been the same since that creep Penguin kicked the bucket."

"He's not a Penguin, or a creep." Jo mumbled, subconsciously standing up for the man she'd thrown out of her home. Or at least, she assumed that he'd followed her orders and left; although it really wouldn't have surprised Jo if she found him in her apartment after work. If there was one thing that Oswald was, he was misunderstood. She hated herself for thinking of Oswald, but Jo just couldn't stop remembering how helpless he'd been. "Did Fish tell you why she wanted to talk to me?"

Again, Kitty shrugged; applying her makeup in thick layers of bright colours. "Just that she needed to talk to you."

_What if she knows? _

Jo just couldn't get the possibility out of her mind as she headed through to the bar. Fish could know all about Oswald, about her involvement in putting him up for the night. And if she did, what was she going to do about it? What would Fish regard to be suitable punishment for such betrayal?

"Jo, darling. Please take a seat." Fish gestured for Butch to pull out a chair so the performer could join her at the table. "Would you care for a drink?"

"No thank you, Ms. Mooney."

"Polite as always." She smiled from Jo to Butch, behaving in an uncharacteristically friendly manner. "Although I must say that you've not been yourself recently. Has all of this nasty business with Oswald upset you?"

"Of course not, Ms. Mooney. I understand that whatever happened to Oswald had to be done." Jo straightened up, deciding to play the teacher's pet. "In this damned city, it's difficult to know who you can trust. You trusted Oswald and he betrayed you. People who betray those who have done so much to help them deserve punishment."

A smile spread on Fish's face upon hearing Jo's honest words. She was indeed the perfect girl for the job. Much like her, Jo was strong and so determined to make it somewhere amongst the city of weak, idiotic people.

"You remind me so much of myself, Jo. You want to be influential like me, don't you?"

"Of course, Ms. Mooney. You really do have power around here." Jo wasn't going to lie; she really did want what Fish had. Should she be in a similar position to her boss, Jo knew that her mother would have enough money to pay off her debt as well as the guarantee of a safe and long life. She just wished that her father could've still been alive to share in this prospect. And her fiancé.

"How far are you willing to go? How much do you want to be someone in this city?"

Jo leaned forward, lowering her voice. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Fish chuckled, feeling a shiver up her spine at the usually quiet girl's seriousness. She'd been right all along; Jo really was different to the other performers – she would be useful in due time.

Life had thrown her a bad hand and Jo was now ready to fight back. She was prepared to do anything to secure the protection of those she cared about.

"Could you get close to Maroni for me? He's certainly a troublesome opponent and I want to know exactly what he's up to." Fish smirked and took a sip of wine. "I plan to have another girl working on Falcone but you seem like the type that that idiot Maroni would trust. For now, I just need you to get inside his unit and tell me exactly what you find out."

"You don't want him to take Falcone's throne first. That's more than reasonable. I'll gladly help you." Jo smiled, deciding to use her innocent charm to her advantage. "Only if you can grant me a favour in return…"

"What do you have in mind? Money? A promotion?"

"Protection." Jo's tone became serious. "All I want is the guaranteed safety of my mother, Ms. Mooney. When the shit hits the fan I want your word that my mom and I will be untouched."

Fish seemed surprised by the request but she agreed all the same. "You're a good girl, Jo. I'm sure that your mother is very proud."

"Hm..." _Not if she finds out what I've been up to..._

* * *

When Jo got home late that night, she wasn't too surprised to find Oswald sat on the sofa. He hadn't seemed willing to leave and, in a way, Jo was happy that he hadn't gone home. Upon seeing her in the doorway, Oswald stumbled to his feet and hobbled over to greet her properly; however, as he got nearer, Jo's expression dropped.

"Where did you get that?" She asked, gesturing towards the suit Oswald was now wearing.

"I found it in your closet. Since you clearly don't need it, I figured that—"

"That was my fiancé's suit. Oswald, you're going to have to change."

"Is it really necessary that I—"

"Oswald, you either change or leave." Jo snapped back, noticing an unfamiliar set of white clothes that had been folded on the sofa. "They're yours I assume?"

"Oh yes, I have good news." Oswald insisted while removing the blazer. "I have found myself a job. I'm a dishwasher at Bamonte's. And better still, I have already caught Don Maroni's attention."

Jo's interest was suddenly captured by the name and she found herself listening to Oswald's smug ramblings, interested in finding out what kind of character Maroni was; although she already had a good idea. However, Jo wasn't prepared to inform Oswald of her upcoming mission to spy on Don Maroni for Fish. Not yet anyway.

She turned her back to Oswald so he could resume changing in remote privacy; having to change back into his work clothes since he currently had very few options when it came to clothing.

"We can go out tomorrow to buy a suit if you'd like." She suggested, taking pity on Oswald's situation. "Can't have you running around in rags now can we?"

"Josephina, where is your fiancé?" Oswald asked curiously, glancing over a photograph of the performer with a young man which stood on the mantle. He was tall with light-coloured hair and had his arm over Jo's shoulder protectively – it didn't take a genius to figure out who he was.

"He's dead." Jo stated rather matter-of-factly. "He got himself tangled up in…an incident, and he was killed because of it. Charlie was a good guy but he could be so reckless, so stupid." She looked at the photo that Oswald had fixed his gaze onto; he couldn't stop staring at the joyful smile which Jo had in place just because this man, this Charlie, was by her side. They had been in love, it was painfully evident. And from the way Jo had reacted to Oswald wearing her fiancé's suit, she certainly still held this love for him – dead or not.

"He always knew how to make me smile, even if I didn't feel like smiling. Even now, I just want to laugh." Jo gently stroked Charlie's suit which was now in her arms; tracing the perfect stitching with her index finger, recalling how perfect her late-fiancé had looked in it.

"Did you love him, Josephina?" Oswald asked meekly, fearing the worst for his future with the young woman before him.

She didn't even have to think of the answer. "Yes, I suppose I did. Charlie was my first love."

Oswald frowned; how could he pursue Jo further if she was still upset over her fiancé's death?

"Could you ever love anybody like that again?" He tried to slip his hand into Jo's, desperate to be close to her – Oswald needed to know that he had a chance. If not…well, he didn't know what he'd do if she refused him.

Jo pulled her hand away and hung her head. "I don't know, Oswald."

"Josephina, I promise I'll protect you." Oswald insisted, grovelling for the performer's affection, her attention. "Once I get Maroni to trust me, you and I will have it all. Money, power…love. I'll never let you go, and I'll never leave you alone."

_Damn, he knows exactly what to say…_

Jo watched Oswald carefully, observing the gentle way in which he dealt with her. He intrigued her; how could someone scare her yet make her feel so safe at the same time like he did? While he made her feel uncomfortable, Oswald also made Jo feel something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Carefully, Oswald moved closer to her again; it was like Jo was some wild animal that needed to be approached with caution before she could be tamed. And Oswald loved it.

He touched her shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "It will be alright. I promise you, Josephina."

"Oswald…I can't do this. I hardly know you and I don't reciprocate whatever feelings you have for me, I'm sorry." Jo knew she was kidding herself but trusting Oswald was too dangerous. Fish was finally starting to appreciate Jo's abilities and so everything would crumble around her if her affiliation with him got out. "You're a sweet guy but…"

His grasp on the performer's shoulder tightened with her spurning of his advances; a slight chuckle escaped his lips, amused by the irony in her words. "You refuse me because you don't know me? Well what about the men you have sex with for money…do you know them, hm? Do they offer you riches and security as I have? No, they don't. You're cruel because you're so saddened about being alone yet when I promise to give you the comfort you need you shoot me down." Again, Oswald laughed. "The truth is, you don't know what you want, Josephina. I know you better than you know yourself."

This side to Oswald really got to her. He made her tremble in fear but, at the same time, he was able to draw Jo in even more. Although she denied any feelings for him, Jo was hooked. She wanted him almost as much as he did her. She just needed some assistance in admitting this. "Well…if you think you know me, prove it. Give me what I want."

Oswald smirked and moved his head closer to Jo's before pushing his lips against hers – softly at first, but then he sped up his pace, becoming hungrier as each second passed. Getting lost in her embrace, Oswald pushed Jo up against the wall, leaning into her warmth while ignoring the strain on his bum leg.

Within a short amount of time, Jo found that Oswald's hand was trailing up her thigh, nearing the hem of her skirt. She stopped, breaking their kiss by gently pushing him away. "That's enough for tonight."

Despite his desperation to continue, Oswald decided to accept her wishes and moved aside, still breathless from their passionate encounter.

"Thank you though. Maybe I did need a bit of comfort." Jo smiled and placed a soft kiss on Oswald's cheek; officially cooling down the heat in the room.

"…Does this mean that you'll accept my offer?"

Jo thought for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, I will. Although you'll still be sleeping in here, and you can't tell anybody else about me…about us. Do you understand, Oswald?"

Of course he was disappointed but this was evidently the start of something great. Jo and he were partners; whether or not that was in the romantic sense as well as the working one was still unclear but for now, Oswald would settle with whatever status Jo desired. After all, it wouldn't be long before he was in her bed. His mother had always told him that patience was a virtue and, in this case, it certainly did appear to be true. Oswald just had to let Jo take control of the pace and soon she'd be all his.

It would just take time. And Oswald was willing to wait.

* * *

**A/N**

**Hi again! **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was actually really enjoyable to write since Oswald and Jo haven't really had any 'moments' yet so slipping a bit of tension in there was quite fun. ALTHOUGH...if anyone's read the summary of this, they'll already know that Oswald will have some competition for Jo's affection in due time. **

**The stuff with Don Maroni should also be interesting to write since our two lovebirds will be working together - and secretly both for different leaders. Oh, and more about Jo's deceased fiancé Charlie will be mentioned in later chapters since he may be quite important (although I haven't actually finalised the details for that yet.)**

**Thanks again for reading, see you all next chapter! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**Hello again!**

**So in the UK we're up to episode 20 (I'm one behind though) although thanks to social media I am aware of how the finale went down - it sounded amazing so I can't wait to watch it in a few weeks.**

**My psychology exam is tomorrow afternoon, along with the rest of my exams over the next fortnight so I doubt the next chapter will be up before Saturday but hopefully this chapter is enough for the time being. It was written over the last few days in between my revision so it took a while but I think it's on par with the rest (Or at least I hope so!)**

**Please enjoy and review if you've got the time - I love hearing from you all!**

* * *

The following morning, Jo awoke to the sound of Oswald moving around her apartment; his bum leg evidently dragging behind him. She had no idea what her housemate was up to and, frankly, it was too early for her to care. So instead of investigating the situation, Jo turned over in an attempt to fall back into a deep sleep. However, her eyes snapped open when she heard a familiar laugh from the front room, and she jumped out of bed quickly, throwing on her dressing gown before rushing out of the bedroom.

"Good morning dear." Oswald smiled at Jo from the sofa but her face dropped at the sight of their guest.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Jo asked, cautiously watching the way her mother and Oswald were laughing together. It was bad enough that Nora had chosen today of all days to visit – what with her job to spy on Maroni starting within the next few hours – but the fact that she and Oswald were chatting away like old friends was just bizarre. Their relationship was supposed to be a secret but now her mother, who was possibly the biggest gossiper that she knew, was aware of her involvement with Oswald.

"Can't a mother visit her only child without having her motives questioned?" Nora smiled and stood up. "Anyway, where on earth have you been hiding this one, Josephina? You never told me you were courting again and I feel quite offended. Especially since Paolo is such a lovely gentleman."

Jo raised an eyebrow at Oswald. _Paolo? What is he trying to pull?_

"I must disagree, Mrs Carnell, for it is Josephina who is lovely." Oswald looked Jo dead in the eye, an unnerving smile in place. "I'm truly lucky to have met her."

However, Oswald's attempt at being romantic didn't sway Jo at all and she remained unresponsive; hardly batting an eyelid at his corny words.

"Don't just stand there looking gormless Josephina, give your boyfriend a hug..!" Nora exclaimed, encouraging Oswald to go over to her. He did as he was told. Well, he was hardly going to complain.

Rolling her eyes, Jo joined Oswald in the middle of the room and allowed him to wrap his arms around her protectively – if only to please her mother.

When they were locked in an embrace, Jo stood on her tiptoes to whisper in Oswald's ear with urgency. "I bet you're loving this."

Smirking smugly, Oswald pulled her in even closer. "Of course." He murmured whilst inhaling her scent, storing the memory away for later. The moment was truly momentous; Oswald had gained the approval of the only person whom he knew held authority over Josephina – thus giving him further access into his lover's life. Regardless of whether or not she wanted this.

"The two of you make such a handsome couple. If only your father was here to see this, Josephina. He'd be so happy." Clasping her hands together in joy, Nora approached the 'happy' couple with a smile of her own. "You've got to join me for lunch sometime. I could invite every family friend and we could make a day of it."

"Mom, I think you're getting a bit carried away…" Jo said while breaking free from Oswald's iron grip, feeling more and more out of place. She just wanted to get to work with her mission from Fish, not drink tea with those close to her alongside a man she'd just met who was supposedly her soulmate.

"Oh Paolo, is my daughter always this much of a kill joy?" Nora sighed, still staring at Oswald like he was the most important person in the room. "I'm just so happy to know that she'll be taken care of. Thank you, dear."

Oswald smiled, taking Jo's hand in his. "Of course I will, Mrs Carnell. Josephina means a lot to me and I promise to keep her safe."

"Well, I'll have to leave you two lovebirds to it. Coffees don't make themselves, sadly." She laughed and made her way to the door. "I'll see you soon, alright Josephina?"

"Yes, mother. Thanks for dropping by." Jo kept her smile in place until her mother had left and closed the door behind her. Then she spun her body around to face Oswald. "What the hell was that?!"

"Well I could hardly leave your mother standing outside the apartment, could I? She's a very nice woman, like you…"

Jo frowned, "are you forgetting the fact that you're supposed to be dead?" She hissed, clearly stressed with the whole situation. "Oswald you can't run around playing my boyfriend because Fish will eventually find you – whether you call yourself Paolo or not."

"B-But Josephina, we agreed that…"

"We agreed to keep all this between us a secret, Oswald." Jo interrupted, counter-arguing him.

"True. However, what is the point in being in a loving relationship if you can't express your love for the other in public?"

He really was testing her patience at this point. "Oh, so if I barged my way into your home and declared myself to be your lover to your mother, you'd be okay with that?"

Oswald's eyes widened and a grin crept across his pale face. "Actually, I very much like that idea."

Jo rolled her eyes, nodding towards the clock. "I thought you had a job. I bet Maroni doesn't appreciate slackers." Jo decided that now was as good a time as ever to start worming her way into the mob boss' unit. "By the way, are there any other job vacancies at Bamonte's?"

"I should imagine so. Can I ask why?"

Jo thought for a moment; could she trust Oswald enough to tell him of Fish's orders? No, of course not. "Money's tight at the moment and I could do with some extra work to keep me busy. Besides, it'll be nice to work alongside you again."

That really did make Oswald smile. "T-That's good news. I'm certain Maroni will hire you; I can put in a good word."

"I can't wait."

Oswald chuckled, "oh believe me, today will be quite eventful."

* * *

After changing out of her nightgown, Jo was ready to start her side job at Bamonte's; although nobody would be aware that it was just an excuse to spy on Sal Maroni for Fish. She entered the restaurant with her arm linked in Oswald's and, even though Jo would've never admitted it, the pair did look like a lovely couple; with Oswald dressed in his work uniform and Jo wearing a skirt that hugged her figure perfectly. Despite being fairly taller and older than his lover, Oswald did indeed compliment her elegant aura and Jo made him look somewhat respectable.

"Good morning, Mr. Carbone." Oswald greeted a tall, dark-haired man with a grin; however the man in question seemed unfazed by the dishwasher's politeness and ignored him altogether. "Is Don Maroni around?"

"Why do you want to know?" He replied huffily, whilst making sure that the restaurant was prepared for the day ahead.

"Well, my lover—"

Jo stopped Oswald right there. "I was wondering if there were any jobs available, Mr. Carbone?" She smiled, "I'll do anything. I just really want to work; especially at a reputable business such as this."

"Now that's what I like to hear. An honest girl looking to work." Maroni appeared from the other end of the restaurant, strolling over to where Jo and Oswald stood. "Paolo, is this beautiful young lady with you?"

"Yes, Don Maroni. She and I are in a courtship."

"Good friends." Jo corrected him, attempting to silence Oswald with her sharp glare. Well, she didn't want her…whatever Oswald was to her, shooting his mouth off about their relationship.

Maroni looked from Oswald to Jo and chuckled. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"…Charlie. Charlie Brandt." _Well if Oswald can have an alias then I want one too. Although I wish I could've thought of a better name…_

"So Charlie, what do you think you could do around here?" The mob boss asked, shooing Oswald to the kitchen with a wave of his hand.

"I'm a fast learner, so anything. I have previously worked in a few clubs and restaurants although I left for a more interesting scene, if you get me." Jo winked with a smirk, causing Maroni to grin in amusement. This girl, Charlie, was certainly a source of entertainment. Despite the fact that he'd only just met her, the mob boss had a feeling that she would come in handy.

"For now you can be our lovely waitress, Charlie." He said, a hand on her shoulder. "Although don't be surprised if you get a quick promotion. I have a feeling I'm goin' to take a liking to you."

"Well I'm hardly going to argue with that, boss." Jo saluted him before heading through to the kitchen, a smug smile in place. She'd been in the building for, what, 10 minutes? And yet Maroni had already warmed to her charms so easily. At this rate, she'd climb her way up to Gilzean's level in no time.

However, Jo's quick rush of luck almost ran out before her mission had even begun.

Later that day, a group of men burst into the restaurant, brandishing guns and the determination of robbing the place.

"Nobody move! This is a robbery!" One of the men announced as another fired a shot into the ceiling to further announce their presence. As if the screaming customers hadn't already realised what was going on…

After the second gunshot, most of the patrons had already vacated the scene; fleeing in a panic as more gunshots rang out.

Jo knew that she had to do something; surely this would gain her the promotion she desired as well as Maroni's easy trust. However, she knew the risks of attempting to fight these men – for one thing, they could have powerful connections. Or even be hitmen sent by Fish for all that she knew.

Without thinking, Jo pulled out her own gun from the holster on her thigh, pointing it at one of the robbers. "Get the hell out..!" She shouted; wondering if she really was going to pull the trigger if he refused – which he obviously would.

The man wasted no time in retaliating by hitting Jo hard in the face with his own gun, knocking her into one of the tables. "Get back in the kitchen and make us some coffees sweetheart – to go. We're in a bit of a hurry."

"I mean it, I'll shoot you if you don't leave now!" Jo shouted, insistent on carrying out the deed even though she'd never killed anyone before; nor had the thought ever crossed her mind – well, apart from the other night when Oswald returned.

He chuckled and moved to stand over Jo, a cruel grin on his face. "Look, you better stay outta this…otherwise you'll be next." The man replied, before quickly turning around to shoot the manager, who was desperately attempting to call for help.

Upon instinct, Jo clambered to her feet and fired a bullet into the gunman's leg; sending him flailing to the ground, clutching his leg in agony. "You bitch!"

The other men ran back out to the front of the building, carrying bags of money while still waving their guns around. They took one look at their associate with a bullet in his leg, Jo still stood over him, gun in hand and the other three men fled the restaurant in their car – leaving his life in Jo's hands.

"You don't wanna do this. Don't do this. I-It wasn't my idea…some guy offered us the cash is we robbed this place." He insisted, his voice suddenly weak. "Please, I ain't even with those guys."

Just then, another car pulled up outside the restaurant carrying Don Maroni's closest men, including Frankie Carbone. They entered the restaurant with their own guns in hand and saw Jo standing over the robber, gun still aimed at his head.

"Well Charlie, you gonna pull the trigger or not?" Frankie asked impatiently, curiously watching her expression and the way her finger stayed firmly on the trigger, although she had yet to fire – clearly considering her options.

Deciding to secure her own life, Jo did the only thing she could. She didn't want to of course but it was either her or him. With a heavy heart, the young woman fired the second bullet into the robber's skull; her heart thudding wildly because of what she had just done.

Frankie and the other three men beckoned Jo to follow them round to the back, wasting no time in checking the storage room for Maroni's cash – which was indeed all gone.

"They got the money, Frankie." One of the men stated, staring in shock at the sight before them: two men lay across the table after suffering bullets to the heads of their own. The smell of blood was horrendous to say the least but Jo knew she had to keep a straight face; she was wanting to get close within Maroni's mob unit after all – this was going to become the norm eventually.

"I got eyes, don't I?" Frankie replied curtly, heading through to the kitchen to see if anything – or anyone – had been left behind. Jo and the other men followed, weapons still in hand and it didn't take long for all of them to notice the bloody footprints that trailed across the kitchen tiles, leading to the freezer.

Cautiously, Frankie followed said footprints, holding his gun high just in case. Extending his arm out, he swung open the freezer door – and was stunned to find a stuttering Oswald curled up inside, clutching one of the money bags to his chest.

"Ah-Oh..! O-Oh, thank goodness you're here! They…they had guns…a-and…and Lou was hit in the stomach. I-Is he-?"

"Forget about Lou. Who did this?" Frankie demanded, lowering his weapon to stare Oswald dead in his terrified blue eyes.

"T-They had masks…I…I couldn't see." He stammered in response, still sat in the freezer as if he was waiting for permission to step out to safety. Jo stood back, watching the pathetic way in which he was huddled inside; still hugging the sack. "I managed to hide this bag, but they got the rest. I…I'm sorry…I—"

Frankie held his hand up to silence the evidently scared dishwasher. "Hey, relax kid. Save it for the boss." He then turned around to face Jo, whose face was now beginning to swell slightly because of the struggle with the gunman whom she had murdered. "You too, Charlie. Don Maroni's gonna want to talk to you as well."

Oswald looked over at Jo, concerned. He could tell that she'd engaged in a fight with one of the men; her face was cut and bruised and her shirt covered in blood – and this really did worry him. Could she have been seriously hurt in the crossfire? What if she'd have been shot? Oswald couldn't help but feel to blame, however he couldn't own up to his part in the robbery, nor could he start behaving like a guilty party. So he simply climbed out of the freezer and handed the money over to Frankie – waiting until the men were out of the room before bombarding his partner with questions.

"A-Are you alright? Did those men hurt you, Josephina?" Oswald reached out a hand to gently trace the bruising under her eye from where the gun had come into contact with her face.

"I'm fine, Oswald. Really I am." Jo sighed and brushed his hand away; although she didn't let go of it – instead slipping her hand into Oswald's. "I just wish that I could've done something to save the manager. I-If I'd have shot that guy straightaway then Lou would still be alive."

"Oh I wouldn't trouble yourself with such matters, it wasn't your fault." Oswald murmured softly, using Jo's anxiety and guilt from the ordeal to his advantage. "I really am glad that you're alright. If those men had harmed you in any way I—"

Jo gave his hand a light squeeze, calming him down. "What about you? You seemed rather shaken; although it was very brave of you to hide with the money like that. I'm actually proud of you." She smiled, still holding his hand.

"Hey Paolo, Charlie, get in here! We need to clean this place up." Frankie called to them from the front of the restaurant.

"Coming, Mr. Carbone..!" Jo shouted back, slipping away from Oswald; however he grabbed her wrist desperately.

Oswald's eyes lit up and he could hardly contain his pride. "You're proud of me? Do you really mean that?"

"Yeah, of course. Keep these heroics up and I might just fall for you." She smiled, only half joking. If anything, Jo wanted more reasons to be with Oswald – she did like him, after all. She just needed to be able to justify herself before fully committing.

Although it was inevitable that Oswald would gain her trust in due time.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**Wow, I am so thrilled to see that this is getting a good reception on this site! You guys are so lovely to read this and review/follow/fave, I couldn't ask for much more...thank you!**

**I've got one more week of exams and then I'm finished for the year so I'm super excited so I can rewatch Gotham and hopefully continue to write more chapters for this since my focus has shifted to this story now, what with it having good feedback.**

**This chapter is dedicated to an old collaboration partner of mine since she loves Harvey Bullock and she did help me to formulate some of the ideas for this story too - thanks P!**

**Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter too!**

* * *

When Jo arrived at Mooney's nightclub that evening, Fish raised an eyebrow at the bruising on the performer's face – interested to know exactly how she had sustained such an injury.

"Some men robbed Bamonte's today. I tried to stop one and…this happened." She gestured to her face as she explained how the incident went down.

"Did they get away with Maroni's money?"

Jo hesitated telling Fish; but then again, if she knew of Jo's abilities, her chances of becoming the most valuable asset would surely be increased. "All but one. I shot the guy who attacked me."

While Jo had said those words with such carelessness, she really was kidding herself. Shooting the gunman in cold blood had really affected her in a negative way; Jo wasn't a killer. Or at least, she hadn't planned to be. It had to be done to save her own skin but still Jo couldn't stop thinking of how her mother would react should she ever learn of her daughter's involvement with the mob.

However the words that Jo had struggled to say delighted Fish.

Although before she could praise her apprentice, Detectives Gordon and Bullock entered the club with the intention of sharing a long conversation with Fish – thus Jo was sent away momentarily and their conversation was put on hold.

Interested as to why two GCPD detectives were hanging around the nightclub, Jo decided to tuck herself behind the door; listening intently.

While she didn't understand the context of much of what was being said, just knowing what was going on around her was satisfying enough. However, it was easy enough to pick up on the fact that the recent murders of the councilmen was the reason for their sudden visit.

Then Fish said something that really did catch Jo's attention: "I always have a Plan B..."

Was her boss referring to her? Did she really hold Jo in such high regard? The possibilities seemed endless - new and exciting. Although her hopes would soon be knocked down a few pegs.

* * *

"Hey, you been eavesdropping?" Harvey asked on his way out, noticing that Jo was curled up by the door.

"No." She replied curtly, getting slowly used to lying.

Harvey let out a short laugh to indicate that he knew she was lying. Truth be told, Jo had never been good at lying; her father had always been able to see right through her, as had Charlie.

"What the hell happened to your face? You walk into a door or somethin'?"

"Wow, you're quite the charmer." Jo glared at the detective, carefully getting back to her feet – still slightly sore from her fight with the intruder at Bamonte's earlier that day. "If you must know I got into a fight. You should see the other guy."

"Heh, does he have two black eyes?"

"Something like that…" Well, she could hardly tell a detective that she'd shot a man dead.

"You know, you can report this? You look in a pretty bad way." The detective folded his arms and leaned against the door frame, watching Jo's mannerisms carefully.

Jo shook her head. "I don't want any trouble." She shrugged, "I'll just put some ice on it later. It'll be fine."

"You sure? Listen, I know you probably don't think much of me but if you're having domestic issues you really should report them."

"There's no domestic issue, Detective. And if there was ever one, the guy would be straight out on his ass." Looking up, Jo realised that Harvey was still observing her. "What? Have you never seen a female before?"

Harvey grinned, deciding to test Jo's humour. "Not one with such a big mouth, no."

Despite her frustration at the day she'd had, Jo decided to take his stab at making her laugh with good humour and let out a slight chuckle of her own. "You should be getting back to work, Detective Bullock. Those dead councilmen aren't going to track down their own killer." She leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Although, if you ask me, the motive is political."

"Harvey, I think we're finished here…" Jim called from the back room, walking out to find Harvey and Jo huddled together down the corridor like a pair of naughty schoolchildren. Furthermore, Detective Gordon really needed to speak with the performer regarding Oswald's inconvenient reappearance – and her apparent involvement with him. "Good evening, Miss Carnell."

"Detective Gordon." Jo smiled, sensing that he was frustrated with her: did he know that Oswald was back? Did Detective Bullock?

Knowing that he would be unable to mention Oswald's reappearance around his partner, Jim decided to leave the matter alone for the time being. "We need to get back to the precinct, Essen will want filling in on our progress."

"I thought we were gonna stick around for the show, Jim." Harvey joked, playfully nudging his partner in the arm. However, Jim didn't appreciate Harvey's attempts at making the situation light-hearted and his facial expression hardly changed. "I'll see you around, Miss Carnell." He tipped his hat and headed for the door.

Detective Gordon followed, although not before muttering in Jo's ear: "I know about Cobblepot."

As the two detectives left the building, Jo felt a tightening in her chest. Although Oswald had probably been stupid enough to pay Detective Gordon a surprise-I'm-not-dead-visit, Jo was concerned regarding where she stood on the matter. Would Jim tell Fish? Or would this continue to be their secret until the shit hit the fan? Exposing them both to dangerous consequences.

* * *

With a pink box in his hands, Oswald entered the apartment where he'd arranged to meet his accomplices. At first they pulled their guns on him, clearly not taking any chances; however, they instantly lowered them when Oswald revealed himself.

"Did we do good or what?" One of them asked with a smirk, counting the money from one of the bags.

"Excellent work, my friends." Oswald replied with a smile, taking a 'seat' with a pink box in his hands.

"It's a shame about Brian though, ain't it?" One of the men said, his tone outrageously insincere.

"Yeah, that stupid bitch is lucky to be alive. He shoulda shot her dead."

"Well he wasn't that tough if he was killed by a waitress." The first guy chuckled. "She was hot though. I wouldn't mind seeing her again."

Oswald's smile faltered for a second. He hated that they were talking about Josephina – his Josephina – in such a derogatory way. This gave him more reason to end the deal.

Holding out the box he chuckled, "Oh, I brought cannoli."

* * *

After her performance, Fish allowed Jo to leave early – somewhat taking pity on her apparent exhaustion of working two jobs for two influential mob figures. As well as the extra help she was giving her mother, Nora. Desperate to go home, Jo quickly changed out of her performing attire and made her way to the door; however she noticed a girl lingering anxiously in the doorway…evidently new around.

"Can I help you?" Jo asked, eying the young woman carefully. She seemed to be of similar age to Jo – well probably a few years younger – and was wearing dark makeup to match her hair and clothing.

"Hey, I'm here to audition for a job?"

"Oh, right…" _Is this the girl Fish is getting to work on Falcone? Wait...is she the 'Plan B'? _"Ms. Mooney is just through there." Jo pointed over to the main room. "I'm Jo, by the way."

"Thanks, my name's Liza."

Jo clasped her hands together, interested to find out Liza's intentions. "So, what job are you applying for exactly?"

Liza shrugged, "I don't know. All I know is that there's a job vacancy."

Feeling slightly threatened by this younger girl, who was clearly going to prove very useful to Fish, Jo forced a smile to mask her annoyance. Just as she was gaining Fish's trust – becoming her protégée – this Liza had sprung up out of nowhere to apply for a top secret job as a 'Plan B'. And that really didn't bode well with Jo at all.

_She really could ruin my chances of gaining a top position in Fish's unit…_

"Well good luck, Liza." Jo smiled, her words somewhat insincere, before opening the door.

"Hopefully I'll see you around." Liza replied with a smile of her own.

Jo was unable to decipher any hidden messages beneath Liza's seemingly genuine words so she let her be – for the time being. Perhaps she wasn't a threat, it was probably just Jo being her typical, paranoid self.

However, just as Jo's encounter with a new face ended, she was lucky enough to be greeted by a familiar one just as soon as she'd left the building.

"Twice in one day, Detective Bullock?" Jo smirked, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to keep warm. "Aren't I a lucky girl?"

"Well I figured that I should stick around to make sure that whoever hit you doesn't come back for round 2." Harvey said casually, brushing off the fact that he was behaving uncharacteristically considerate. "I can walk you home, come on."

"Why do you care? I'm just another whore that couldn't find work. Since when have I been worthy of police protection?"

"Look, can't a cop do his job without having his motives questioned?" Harvey noticed Jo shivering because of the cold so took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.

"Not a cop in Gotham. You're all corrupt." Despite her words, Jo smiled at the gesture and decided to let the detective walk her home after all.

"You know, you were right. About the Governor murders…political." He chuckled, "you ever thought about being a cop?"

"Not at all. I'm far too content with my current career path." She replied sarcastically, her laughter almost cynical. "I mean, why trade stockings and sequins for some cheap badge right?"

Harvey then decided to try his luck with Jo while she was in a seemingly good mood. "You could still bring the stockings and sequins to the GCPD."

Knowing that he was joking around with her, Jo decided to ignore Detective Bullock's comment; he did seem like the type of guy to get satisfaction from a shocked reaction after all. And anyway, since when had she been friendly with anyone from the GCPD?

However, the two of them exchanged in pleasant conversation during the walk back to Jo's apartment and Harvey even managed to make the performer laugh more than once. Jo somewhat enjoyed his company – something which she never thought she'd hear herself say about any Gotham cop – let alone one who had clashed with her just the day before.

Harvey equally liked being around Jo, even if he couldn't quite place her. She seemed to be sarcastic and honest, with an ability to hold her own; but at the same time, she had these moments of vulnerability which really did make him worry about her. Jo had already stated how far she was willing to go to protect her mother…but how far could she get before getting caught out?

When they reached Jo's apartment block, she shrugged his jacket off her shoulders, handing it back. "Thank you, Detective."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Harvey asked, just to make sure that Jo would be safe in her home. Truth be told, he just wanted to make sure that Jo didn't have an abusive partner – or a partner at all. Because she really had grown on him all of a sudden. "Your partner's already asleep now, huh?"

Jo sighed, assuming that this was Harvey's pathetic attempt at finding out what caused the bruising on her face – unaware of his real intention behind the question. "There is no partner, I told you." She debated telling him the truth before deciding that half of it was better than a pack of lies. "I got into a fight at work, okay? A group of guys broke in and tried to rob the place so I tried to fight back."

_Then I shot one…_

"I can still file a report into locating them, if—"

"That's not necessary, thank you. My employer would hate the attention."

"Okay, okay." Harvey put his hands into his pockets, dying to ask Jo a question but he was afraid of the repercussions; so instead he just decided to say the other thing that was on his mind. "Listen, I know we got off to a bad start…"

Jo held her hand up. "Detective, don't do that. It's okay." She glanced towards her front door; desperate to just go to bed. "Thank you for walking me home. Goodnight."

Harvey waited until Jo had disappeared into the building before making his way home. If he'd have been honest, the detective would have expected an invite for coffee at Jo's apartment in return for his thoughtfulness – hell, he'd waited in the cold for her to leave the club for over half an hour just to see her home safely. Harvey had no idea why this girl made him soft but perhaps it was because she had recently becoming his sparring partner, and a formidable one at that. Despite the fact that Gotham wasn't a city for nice guys – or cops, for that matter – Detective Bullock felt oddly inclined to help Jo. Whether it was her ability to challenge him with ease while maintaining an aura of charm, or because of the way in which she had sworn loyalty to keeping her mother safe, Harvey didn't quite know. Or maybe it was because of the influence that the righteous Detective Jim Gordon; perhaps his sense of justice was becoming stronger thanks to his new partner.

Just like Jo's ability to lie was getting better after Oswald became her lodger.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**

**Hi guys! I hope you're all well. As for me, I'm now on exam leave for the next 5 weeks so I should hopefully be more active. **

**And omg Eurovision is on tonight I'm so excited!**

**This chapter should've been on here 2 nights ago but I've had difficulty accessing the internet on my laptop recently and, because the mobile version of this site isn't too good, I had to delay updating this :(**

**I spent ages thinking of an idea for this chapter so I hope you guys like it. If there's anything that you'd like to see in future chapters, you're all more than welcome to drop me a message or review telling me what you're interested in seeing more of and I will try my best to deliver. **

**Thanks for reading so far and I hope this chapter is on par with the rest!**

* * *

When Jo reached her apartment she had never felt more relieved to be in the safety of her home. She kicked her heels off and shuffled over to where Oswald stood by her bedroom door, blushing upon seeing her.

"O-Oh, Josephina…I wasn't expecting you home so soon."

She shrugged, "Fish let me leave early. I guess not even mob bosses find black eyes attractive, huh?" Despite herself, Jo couldn't help but let out a cynical chuckle before heading to the bathroom and taking a couple of painkillers out of the medicine cabinet.

It was then that she got a good look at the slight changes her bedroom had undergone during her absence. Particularly the armoire and its drawers that had been left slightly open and ajar. "Oswald, have you been in my bedroom?"

He shook his head, "n-no…we made a deal and I haven't breached any promise I made."

Jo began frantically rummaging through her drawers. "Oswald please don't play games with me. Just tell me the truth, alright?"

"I…I…" Oswald clutched the silk scarf that he had swiped from Jo's room tightly in one hand.

Reaching her arm to the back of the armoire, Jo sighed in relief when she felt what she had feared had been taken jammed behind the drawers. She stood up and left the bedroom to find Oswald lingering at the door, meeting his eyes directly. "You have been in my bedroom then? Nobody else has been in this apartment?"

"No, of course not. I would never bring anyone back into your home without your consent, Josephina."

_But that didn't stop you from barging in and making yourself at home, did it?_ Jo smiled, carefully watching her lodger's facial expression. "What's going on?"

"Hm? Whatever do you mean?"

"You seem rather…pleased with yourself. And that suit is new too, where did you get it?"

Oswald chuckled and gave Jo a wicked grin. "Do you like what you see?"

Deciding to play his game, the performer smiled back. "It's much better than that shabby suit you wore the day you broke into my apartment. Smells better too."

Unsure as to whether Jo's words were meant to be a compliment, Oswald looked puzzled at her. "So, do you like it? Do I strike you as someone powerful now?"

Jo folded her arms, tiring of her lodger's terrible attempts at fishing for compliments. Even though she did think he looked rather attractive in the new suit. "It takes a lot more than a new suit to become someone in Gotham, Oswald. You need to have money, weapons, connections…oh, and a better job than being some schmuck's dishwasher."

"Oh, well, I actually have very good news." Oswald took Jo's hand and led her to the sofa where they sat down together. "Just after you left Bamonte's, Don Maroni paid a visit and promoted me to restaurant manager."

Jo nodded in understanding, too exhausted to feign congratulations for Oswald regarding his sudden promotion. In fact, she felt slightly bitter. Oswald had spent the majority of the robbery hiding in the freezer while she had done her best to stop the intruders – even murdering one to get payback for Maroni. Yet Oswald had clearly received the majority of Sal Maroni's praise. At this rate, Jo knew that she was going to end up as second best with both Maroni and Fish, despite all her best efforts.

"So where does this promotion of yours leave me?"

"You'll be courting the manager of one of the most prestigious restaurants on this side of Gotham." Oswald chuckled and leaned in for a kiss, desperate for some kind of reward.

Shaking her head, Jo moved her head backwards. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not going to sit here and be your bitch, Oswald. Since when were you the more superior one? I thought this partnership of ours entitled us to be equals." She grabbed his suit jacket and pulled him closer. "I want you to use your position as manager to get into Maroni's head. I want a promotion of my own, alright? Then maybe I'll give you a reward."

Oswald pouted, disappointed by Jo's tormenting. "Fine. I promise to grant your wish, Josephina. Although you must tell me why you were so…frightened when you thought that someone had broken into your bedroom." He chuckled, "perhaps you're not as innocent as you make people believe?"

Jo smirked, "you have no idea."

Her sudden shift in behaviour left a shiver down Oswald's spine; he loved this mysterious side to Josephina. In a way, it made him hopeful that the two of them had a lot more in common than initially believed. She was evidently a social outcast, just like him – but perhaps there was even more to it than that.

"So, why were you worried that someone else had been here?"

The performer rolled her eyes; Oswald really wasn't going to let this go. "Charlie was murdered and he told me to guard something with my life. That's all I'm willing to disclose on the matter."

The mention of Jo's dead fiancé made Oswald frown. Every day the dead man had found a way into their conversation, and it annoyed him greatly. "Josephina—"

"And you should understand that if you ever go searching my room for the item in question, I will turn you over to the police and to Fish. Although this will be before I tell Maroni that you're still in cahoots with Falcone."

Oswald watched Jo's serious facial expression and took a step back as a precaution. "O-Oh, I would never even think of invading your privacy."

"I'm going to bed now, Oswald. Goodnight." Jo walked into her bedroom and closed the door, too exhausted to argue with him.

It didn't take long for Jo to drift off into a deep sleep; the past few days had well and truly exceeded her limitations after all.

While Jo had so easily fallen asleep, Oswald lie wide awake on the sofa until the early hours. He held the silk scarf that he'd taken from her bedroom tightly, gently stroking the delicate material as if it were a part of Jo's skin – soft and easily torn under a rough hand. Oh how Oswald wished he could touch her like that. He would be so careful with Jo, that much was certain; he'd never harm her and he'd protect her from exposure to any danger. However, perhaps they could have a mutual protection pledge. Jo definitely seemed to be hiding a stronger, darker persona beneath her charming exterior. Maybe the thing she needed protecting from more than anything was, in fact, herself. Her own demons that had a tendency to resurface – if only for the odd moment or two.

Growing tired of staring at the ceiling, stuck in a fantasy, Oswald snuck into Jo's bedroom. Happy to find the door unlocked – a sign that she was beginning to trust him – Oswald dragged his bum leg over to the bed and proceeded to look down on Jo as she slept; her perfect ombre hair now rested in waves on her pillow while her now clean and makeup-less face made her seem much younger, yet still just as beautiful. Reaching out a hand, Oswald touched her cheek, softly as he had done with the scarf. Jo stirred slightly but she didn't wake up, so Oswald continued to touch her…stroking her hair, caressing her arm…

Oswald would've liked to have been able to touch Jo in other places but resisted the urge to do so as he knew that any more would wake her. Moreover, he had an incredibly large desire to kiss the young woman again, as they had done the previous night. Frankly, Oswald missed her taste – thus he wanted more.

After a while Oswald decided that he'd treated himself enough for one night, so returned to the sofa and shortly after, he finally fell to sleep.

* * *

Sure enough, Oswald did indeed make good on his promise to Jo. Within just a few hours, she found herself engaging in a meeting with Maroni and Carbone regarding her recent actions at Bamonte's.

"I wasn't aware that you felt pushed out, Charlie. Please accept my apologies." Maroni said sincerely, offering Jo a drink to which she politely refused.

Jo frowned; of course Oswald would've spun some story about her being a typical, jealous woman. "Oh, I never said that I felt excluded. Just that some recognition for my part in yesterday's robbery would've been much appreciated." She shot Carbone a glare, sensing him rolling his eyes at her.

"That's fair enough." Don Maroni thought for a second before he hit Carbone's shoulder. "Hey, how about you take Charlie out to practise? Show her how we run things in this city. Then maybe we can think about giving you a promotion, that sound good?"

"Yes, Don Maroni. Thank you." Jo smiled gratefully, although she noticed that Frankie wasn't too enamoured by the situation.

So she waited until Maroni was out of earshot before addressing the apparent issue.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Carbone?"

He chuckled bitterly, "you know, you and your boyfriend are really starting to test my patience."

"Paolo is not my boyfriend." Jo insisted, while grabbing her dishcloth. "Fair enough he's got a few issues but what have I done to warrant the dirty looks you keep giving me?"

"Nothin' yet. But you came outta nowhere and all of a sudden you and Paolo are rubbin' elbows with the boss. He's clever but you…you're somethin' else. Unpredictable."

Jo sighed, exhausted by his suspicions. She went over to a table and began to clean it ready for the patrons. "I'm simply here for a bit of money, Mr. Carbone."

However, he grabbed Jo's arm and yanked her towards him; his height giving him the advantage over her.

"Get your hands off me." Jo smiled sweetly; although this was only to test the man before her. If he were to hit her, then would've been a perfect moment since Don Maroni was in the room. "Please."

"The two of you are up to somethin'. Maroni may be an idiot but I ain't. Do I make myself clear, Charlie?" Frankie squeezed her arm tight, while Jo attempted to stare him down.

"Crystal clear, Mr. Carbone." Jo decided to not let her facial expression give anything away. Truthfully, she couldn't understand why Frankie Carbone was so suspicious of her and Oswald; it wasn't like they'd done anything to warrant such disgust, like spit in the soup or stage the robbery from the previous day. Well, at least that's what Jo thought.

After her shift had ended, Jo attempted to leave quietly; desperate to avoid any confrontation from Frankie or Oswald – whom she hadn't spoken to since their debate the previous night. Frankly, the young woman had had enough of men recently; they were all bullies who were so distracted by wealth and status that, one of these days, a strong woman like Fish – or Jo herself – would easily be able to knock them straight off the metaphorical mafia pyramid.

"I saw the way Mr. Carbone treated you. It was highly uncalled for." Oswald said, cornering Jo in the wine cellar. "What should I do about it, Josephina?"

Jo shrugged, "I don't care. Just let it go."

Oswald looked confused. "But why? He hurt you…I…I can't let that stand."

"He didn't hurt me. It takes a lot more than that to make me cry, Oswald." She laughed cynically and helped herself to a bottle of wine, slipping it under her coat. "Besides, you should be more concerned about the fact that Carbone is on to us. He's convinced that you and I are up to something."

"You aren't up to anything though, are you?" Oswald looked at her carefully, finding her choice of words odd. "I may be working for Falcone but you told me that this job was just a means for you to earn more money…that is true, isn't it?"

"Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you, Oswald?" Jo forced a smile to mask her nerves – Oswald could easily rattle her own secret should she slip up again. Only she, Fish and Butch knew of Jo's true intentions for working at Bamonte's after all. "Anyway, I'm going to head home. I'll see you later okay?" For good measure, Jo decided to kiss Oswald's cheek before she left the cellar and made her way back to her apartment.

Leaving Oswald alone with his own conflicting thoughts.

The last time Jo had kissed his cheek like that had been just before she'd snitched on him to Fish. It had been an act of guilt and secrecy, and not one of true love – just like this one had been. Despite his efforts, Oswald knew that Jo didn't love him. Although she had treated him well and had been kind enough to keep his secret, Jo had never complied completely. Every time she had started to open up, something inside of her had shut down quickly again; it was almost as if Jo had a strong defence system that prevented her from getting close to anyone. So Oswald knew he had to destroy it.

In the end, if Jo couldn't accept him willingly, he'd have to break her himself. It was inevitable that Oswald would eventually have to destroy any morals or strength that Jo had if she continued to reject him in the way that she did. Jo needed to be vulnerable; therefore the only way to her heart would be to make her feel like she _needed_ Oswald.

* * *

When Jo arrived home, she was almost surprised to find that she had a guest waiting outside her door. Well, this meeting was foreseeable within her near future; after all, Detective Gordon didn't seem like the type to mess around or take any chances in regards to any issues in general.

"We need to talk, Ms. Carnell."

"Indeed we do, Detective." Jo unlocked the door and walked inside. "You should probably come in."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**

**Thanks to everyone who continues to read this, it means a lot. And special thanks to those of you who have followed this story or have added it to your favourites because I appreciate it - the same goes to those who review because I do love to get feedback and hear from you all.**

**In relation to this, I had a request for more flashback-y bits and because I loved that idea I decided to add a flashback to this chapter; although it's near the end. **

**But hopefully you all like this chapter - I really enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

"Can I get you a drink, Detective Gordon?" Jo beckoned him to take a seat, deciding to make a good impression to avoid any prosecution.

"No thank you, Ms. Carnell."

Jo slipped the bottle of wine out from under her jacket, "you sure? This is a small bottle but it's expensive stuff…"

"I just want to talk about Cobblepot."

Jim watched as Jo deeply exhaled, nodding as she sat down. "Of course you do."

"Where is he now?" Detective Gordon asked, attempting to read Jo's behaviour in order to decipher whether or not she was to be trusted.

"I haven't seen him since I left work." Jo decided to trust him. "I'm working an undercover job for Fish, see. Nothing illegal, don't worry. Just spying."

"Does Cobblepot live here with you?" Jim decided to first make sure that Oswald's own claims were valid before testing Jo's own utility.

"Believe me, if I could kick him out I would." She said, avoiding Jim's eyes. "It's just…I don't know, I guess I feel safer having him here. Besides, if I don't look after him, who will?"

"He's a grown man, Ms. Carnell. And he's a dangerous one because of his relationship with Fish Mooney. If she finds out that he's alive, you'll get caught in the crossfire."

"But so will you." Jo replied; although she agreed completely with what the detective was saying. "You failed to kill Oswald so your life is at just as much risk as mine. Maybe more so. At least Fish likes me, she's not very fond of you I can tell you that much. But not me, you know." She smiled sadly. "I actually trust you, and I can see why Oswald does too. You're the first good cop that's worked at the GCPD since…well, for a long time."

"What makes you say that?"

Jo shrugged, "I'm a very good judge of character. I can tell that you're morally advanced and studies show that those with higher morals are less likely to conform – it's psychology, Detective. Therefore, I believe you to be trustworthy and, dare I say it, I think that you'll be able to save Gotham. Well, what's left of it."

Jim was both surprised and pleased with Jo's words; for starters, she seemed to be an honest source – and she evidently trusted him. He had sworn to carry out his duties properly and the performer could tell that he was different – just like Detective Gordon could see that Jo herself was on another level, far apart from her fellow colleagues at Mooney's nightclub. However, Jim also knew that she would be unable to keep supporting both teams and, either way, her loyalty to both Fish and Oswald would end up getting her killed. Although he obviously wasn't going to tell her that; after all, Jo seemed smart enough to already be aware of this notion.

"Ms. Carnell, maybe I was wrong to judge you…"

"You're being nice to me because you want something." Jo smirked, "go on, what're you going to ask me for?"

"Cobblepot mentioned that a war was coming. Do you know anything about that?" Jim asked, curious as to what Jo's take on this fable was – and if she knew more about it than him, being a woman on the inside and all.

"I assume that he was referring to Falcone's downfall." She shifted in her seat; always tempted to look over her shoulder when speaking of Falcone and such mafia business. "Falcone's grip on this city is slipping – as soon as he's out of the picture, Fish and Maroni will be among two of the leaders eager to take over. If they can actually wait until Falcone kicks the bucket."

"So you think that Fish is keen to take Carmine Falcone's place?"

Jo laughed, "I don't think, I _know_ so. I see Fish practically every day and, without betraying her trust, I can tell you that she's definitely becoming impatient."

_Why the hell did I tell him that? I must have a death wish…_

Detective Gordon had listened intently to every word that had come out of Jo's mouth, deciding to trust her immensely – why would she lie, after all? Especially since she seemed determined to steer clear of any conflict in order to keep her mother safe. As for her involvement with Oswald, it seemed that she perceived their relationship to be less of an arrangement than he did. Jo just wanted someone to protect her and vice versa; while her partner seemed more focused on securing a strong bond with her.

Standing up to leave, Jim thanked the performer for her time and she looked at him seriously – clearly contemplating saying something else, but she decided to maintain her silent smile until he'd left her apartment.

_Since when have I trusted cops? There's no way he could help me, even if he seems keen on justice._

* * *

Later that evening, as if to further test Jo's newfound trust in the police department, her landlady came running up the stairs and began frantically knocking on her door. "Jo, there's a caller for you downstairs!"

Jo, who had been napping at the time, forced herself to get up and go downstairs to answer the phone. She doubted it'd be anyone important – who would call the apartment phone and not her actual mobile? However she was almost pleasantly surprised to find out that her mystery caller was Harvey Bullock.

"I wasn't aware that I gave you permission to call me at home, Detective."

"Yeah, yeah, good evening to you too." Harvey lowered his voice, "I think I've got some news about the men that attacked you at work."

"I told you not to look into that..!" Jo hissed, making sure her landlady was out of earshot.

"No, I didn't go looking into it. Three bodies were found this morning – poisoned – and next to them were empty sacs."

"That's a rather wild assumption, Detective. Loads of guys carry money bags in Gotham. And poisoning is becoming a very common method of murder."

"Not with a box of cannoli, it isn't."

"Cannoli, seriously?"

"That's not really the issue, sweetheart. My point is, if these are the guys that robbed your place of work, someone else set them up. Then they killed them and took the money. Does anyone come to mind?"

Jo thought for a moment; the only person who thought had the potential to pull a stunt like that was Frankie Carbone – but why? It wasn't like the robbery had benefitted him in terms of status. "No, Detective. I can't think of anyone." She sighed, "but all of that is water under the bridge now. I'm over it, my boss is over it – there's little point in pursuing this further."

"Well if you're sure." Harvey said, Jo's attitude slightly perturbing.

"Yes. Goodnight, Detective Bullock."

"You too, Ms. Carnell."

Jo hung up the receiver and chuckled. If Carbone had been behind the robbery – provided that Jo could prove it – he would end up in hot water with Don Maroni; thus giving Jo her chance to claim his power.

* * *

Oswald stumbled home later that night with his clothes ruffled and found Jo asleep on the sofa. Upon hearing the front door close, Jo jolted upright; however, to Oswald's pleasure, she seemed relieved to see him and even went over to greet him.

"I wondered when you were coming back." She said, taking in the state of her boyfriend. "What happened to you?"

"I…I got into a bit of a scrape. A group of men tried to mug me b-but I'm alright." Oswald insisted, laughing nervously. He couldn't stand Jo looking at him during a moment of weakness; it was his duty to protect her and if he couldn't convince her that he was powerful, what chance did he have?

"You're shaking Oswald." Jo whispered, touching his cheek gently – tracing the blood that had dried there with her index finger. "Hang on, I'll get you cleaned up." She hurried over to the cupboard where she filled a bowl with water and took out a towel before urging Oswald to sit down on the sofa. At times, Jo tended to forget how vulnerable her boyfriend could be and this side to him brought out the softer, maternal side to Jo. Although she wanted protecting, Jo didn't mind helping Oswald out when he needed her – in a way, this made them more alike than she had originally thought.

"J-Josephina, please wait. I…I want to…" Oswald took the washcloth out of Jo's hands and replaced it with the small bag he'd been carrying. "I bought you a gift. To thank you for your hospitality."

Smiling, Jo lifted the lid of the box that was in the bag to reveal a diamond necklace – and a suspiciously expensive one at that.

"Oh Oswald, it's beautiful. Thank you, but you really shouldn't have." Jo gasped, touching the elegant piece of jewellery gently; as if it was so precious that it would crumble to dust under a rough hand. She had never seen such a beautiful item – let alone touched something so expensive.

Oswald held up his hand as if to silence her. "Well you deserve the finer things in this world, Josephina."

"…How on earth did you pay for this?"

"Don Maroni gave me my paycheque this afternoon." Oswald chuckled, as if he was an excited child – eager to see Jo wearing his gift.

"Is he paying you in diamond necklaces?" Jo asked, still speechless at his thoughtfulness. As well as the fact that Don Maroni appeared to pay his employees very highly; she couldn't wait for her own paycheque to come through if this was the case.

Oswald chuckled again, tapping Jo's nose with his index finger. "You, my dear, are too curious. Just accept my gift…please?"

"Alright, thank you Oswald. It's a very lovely gesture." Jo kissed his cheek. "Now please let me clean you up."

Instead, Oswald took the necklace from Jo's hands; desperate to see his fantasy become reality. "May I...?"

Jo smiled and nodded, moving her hair out of the way as Oswald fastened the necklace and sat back to admire the sight before him. Just as he had imagined, Jo did look beautiful with his gift around her neck. In fact, the whole scene had been inspired by the old films his mother would watch during his childhood; where the men were strong and the women would swoon over offerings of flowers and diamonds. And although Jo had yet to swoon for him, Oswald felt that some progress had been made – even if he wished he could've claimed her for himself right there on the sofa.

Jo laughed, blushing under his gaze. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I was just thinking of the first time I saw you…" Oswald covered himself well; going back to the day he first saw Jo at Fish Mooney's.

"Was I down on my knees scrubbing Fish's toilets?" Jo held the washcloth to Oswald's face, cleaning the blood and dirt from his pale skin.

Oswald shook his head, "you were cleaning the bar. I heard your voice first; you were singing to yourself because you thought that no one was around."

* * *

_Jo sighed and began cleaning the bar area; wiping away any signs of booze and puke in preparation for the next day. Because it was late, most of the employees had long since left for home – leaving the young cleaner to finish off restoring Mooney's nightclub to its usual pristine state._

_Fish's new umbrella boy, Oswald Cobblepot, slipped into the building and took in the elegant aura of his new place of work; although he was unsure as to where his new 'boss' was. While he knew this job was just a cover for Falcone, Oswald couldn't help but feel anxious. This was new territory and, if Fish Mooney was as smart as Falcone feared, it would've been easy enough to catch Oswald out. _

_However, the sound of singing could be heard down the hall; so Oswald followed it and found himself in the main room – surrounded by empty tables and a large stage – not to mention the most elegant chandelier he'd ever seen. Then, at the far end of the room, Oswald saw something even more exquisite, with a voice to match her appearance. _

_"…The minute you walked in the joint,_

_I could see you were a man of distinction,_

_A real big spender,_

_Good looking, so refined._

_Say, wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind?_

_So let me get r—"_

_The young woman had turned around to find Oswald standing there, watching her intently; her face turning pink with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I thought everyone had gone home." _

_"Oh, don't stop because of me. Please continue, you're very good." Oswald walked over to her with a smile and a hand out to be shaken. "Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot."_

_Jo seemed surprised at the formality but took his hand and shook it. "I'm Josephina Carnell. Most people just call me Jo, though." _

_"Josephina…it's a beautiful name." Oswald said, admiring the wine glasses that were laid out neatly along the bar. "Are you a singer here?"_

_That question caused Jo to laugh, almost dropping the glass she was cleaning on the floor. "No. No, I just…I clean. I tidy the beds, make the toilets spotless and scrub the blood off the sidewalk and all that. I could never get up there and sing." Jo said, looking at the stage. _

_"I refuse to believe that. I'm certain that everyone would be delighted to hear your voice." _

_"You have no idea what kind of club this is, do you?" Jo chuckled at Oswald's seeming innocence to the world which he had entered._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"The clients here don't care about that kind of talent. They like—"_

_"Girl, I'm not paying you to stand around talking." Fish Mooney entered the room, followed by her most trusted employee, Butch Gilzean. "Good evening Oswald, I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow."_

_"I know Ms. Mooney but I was so excited to get started." Oswald laughed anxiously, masking his true intentions. "A-And Josephina was just telling me more about the establishment."_

_Jo watched Oswald, unsure as to why a man whom she had just met was standing up for her._

_"She's also a very good singer, Ms. Mooney." He added, turning to Jo with a smile. _

_"Well, aren't you bold for a newbie..." Fish turned to Jo, "you can sing?"_

_Jo shook her head nervously, laughing Oswald's statement off. "Not really, it's just a hobby."_

_"Don't be modest, girl. If you can sing I want to hear it…get on that stage and show me." Fish smiled at Jo, urging her to go over to the stage and try out for a performing role. _

_The young woman had every right to be nervous; she rarely saw Fish Mooney thus this was possibly one of the first conversations which they had engaged in. And it was ultimately thanks to Oswald. But why would this stranger treat her with such kindness? _

_Jo stood on the stage and held the microphone stand tightly, her legs shaking. Fish Mooney took a seat at one of the tables with Butch while Oswald stood beside the stage, smiling encouragingly. _

_"Go on, girl. Sing for me."_

* * *

**A/N**

**When Oswald meets Jo she's singing the song 'Big Spender' from the musical _Sweet Charity_. I basically chose her to sing this song because it was one of the most played songs at the restaurant I used to work at and I often found myself there after hours cleaning in the cellar, humming the song because it had been playing all throughout my shift. But long story short, (because I tend to ramble on,) I bet Fish Mooney would be a nicer boss to work for than the couple who employed me.**

**I kind of want to show a transition of Jo's character through the songs that she sings; like she started singing songs from musicals but finishes singing more dark cabaret songs like the ones by Jill Tracy (who is an amazing singer, who I highly recommend you guys listen to) to show that she's no longer the timid cleaner she started off as after becoming more involved with Oswald and the mob bosses.**

**Oh, and Harvey telling Jo about the cannoli poisoning will be important later on.**

**Anyway, because I'm talking too much...**

**Thanks for reading and I'll see you all next chapter! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**

**Happy Friday everyone!**

**I passed my driving theory test this morning so now I've just got to pass the physical driving exam next month and then I can cross the bridge and become a legit driver woo. **

**Anyway enough about me before I ramble on...**

**Without giving the plot away, this chapter is very focused on Oswald and Jo. It basically continues directly from the last chapter; although because it fell a bit short when it came to the word count, I had to throw in a few poetry lines but they're good poems I promise.**

**Please enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

Oswald and Jo spent the rest of the night laughing on the sofa like they were teenagers at a sleepover. For the past hour, Jo had read Oswald some of her favourite poems and he had listened as her soft voice told the stories in an almost enchanting way.

"…_That all it scorned at once is fled,_

_And I, its love, am gained instead._

_Porphyria's love: she guessed not how_

_Her darling one wish would be heard._

_And thus we sit together now,_

_And all night long we have not stirred,_

_And yet God has not said a word."_

Jo finished the poem with a smile, "I really like that one."

"He…killed his lover?" Oswald asked for confirmation, stunned by the words that Jo had read to him. "And you like these poems?"

"Yeah, that's why I love Browning's work. He explores the minds of the more unstable people within society…don't you find that interesting? I mean, this guy asphyxiated Porphyria with her own hair." She raised an eyebrow at him and closed the book, deciding to joke with him. "Don't you go getting any ideas, Oswald. I don't want to have to cut my hair short."

However, Oswald didn't seem to appreciate the joke and shook his head. "I…I would never dream of harming you, Josephina." He ran a hand through her long ombre hair, "and please promise me never to cut your hair…it's beautiful."

"Alright, I promise." Jo tilted her head to the side, "so who are your favourite poets?"

Oswald thought for a moment; he had to admit that he preferred the more romantic poets to the ones of darker humour and irony that Jo seemed to love. He knew that it was rather clichéd but one of his favourite poems was most definitely Shakespeare's sonnet 18 – one which he had long since learnt to recite off by heart.

"This could've been written about you…" Oswald cleared his throat with a smile.

"_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_

_Thou art more lovely and more temperate:_

_Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,_

_And summer's lease hath all too short a date:_

_Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines—" _

Jo stopped Oswald with a soft kiss, feeling nervous when he took her head to guide her deeper into his embrace. "You're a bit of a sycophant, aren't you?" She murmured, her lips inches from his. "Reciting beautiful poetry with me…buying me expensive gifts…you're quite the romantic yourself, Oswald."

"Growing up, I always did feel that I belonged in the 16th century." Oswald hung his head, almost embarrassed. "I never cared for school, or friends…until I met you, Josephina."

Jo seemed touched by his words and smiled softly. "Me too…I never really had any friends. The other girls at high school would always trip me up in the corridor, they'd call me names and even when they came into my family's café, it didn't stop…" She took a breath, "I hated them, Oswald. I wanted them to pay for what they were doing…"

"What did you do?" Oswald asked, both concerned and curious as to what Jo had done to stop these bullies from tormenting her.

"I told the leader of the gang to meet me on the school roof; I lied and said that I'd supply her with cocaine if she left me alone." Jo looked thoughtful for a moment; it was as if she could vividly remember the scene. "Then I pushed her. She fell 36 feet onto hard concrete and as the paramedics hauled her broken body onto the stretcher I couldn't help but smile. It felt good to not be on the receiving end for once, you know?"

Oswald nodded, completely understanding everything that Jo was telling him. He knew the feeling all too well and he couldn't help but smile.

"And when I heard that she had died…I felt like this huge weight had just been lifted off my shoulders. I could finally breathe for the first time in years and, although I didn't intend to kill her, I'm glad that I did." Jo faced Oswald with her dark green eyes. "You must think me crazy, right?"

"Not at all." Oswald smiled and took Jo's hands. "If anything, I love you even more."

Although Jo had confessed such a huge thing to him, Oswald couldn't help but sense that it had been a one-time act – which highly disappointed him. While the people that had died by his hands had done so intentionally, Jo's one act of vengeance appeared to have been impulsive and not carefully thought out whatsoever; even if it appeared that she never got found out.

That's why she needed him. Jo not only needed Oswald's protection, but his teaching too, should she want to survive in Gotham once the war began.

"You really are something else, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot." Jo whispered, resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "You will be able to protect me, won't you? Like you promised…"

Oswald chuckled, "just you wait and see, my dear Josephina. I will soon prove myself to be worthy of being your guardian…and lover."

"My lover, hm?" Jo chuckled mischievously. "Can't say that I've had a lot of those recently."

"…So the men at Fish's establishment…?"

"Oswald, I don't even know the names of half of the customers at the club, let alone have feelings for any of them. It's just sex, that's all." She reassured him further by slipping her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. "You said that you'd protect me and I believe you." _Although I have no idea why I trust him all of a sudden…_

"Of course, and you do have feelings for me too, don't you?"

Jo had to think for a moment: did she actually love Oswald Cobblepot?

While he had treated her with a significant amount of kindness in all the time that she'd known him, Oswald's bizarre actions did tend to act as a turn-off at times. Even though Jo didn't mind tending to him when hungry or bruised, she would've preferred to find a lodger with a bit more masculinity – someone who she knew was more than capable of protecting her.

However, despite being strong and fearless, Charlie himself had failed to protect his fiancée. Maybe strength and bravery weren't the only two essential factors; perhaps Oswald's intelligence would be enough to keep her safe once Falcone fell from grace. Moreover, she was finding it nice to spend time with someone who appreciated poetry and the more romantic and tender moments in a relationship – as opposed to Charlie who had hardly shown that softer side.

Jo needed to believe that Oswald would be able to help her out. Because although Fish had sworn to keep Jo and her mother out of the crossfire, Jo was doubtful as to whether or not her boss would live up to her end of the deal.

But she just couldn't tell Oswald that she loved him. Love was just too strong a word for Jo to say at this point in their relationship. So instead, Jo responded in the only way she knew how.

Without giving Oswald the chance to respond, Jo smashed her lips to his; her heartbeat quickening as she felt Oswald's hand at the back of her head, deepening the kiss. After a while, Jo had to pull away for air; breathless as Oswald stared longingly into her green eyes. Becoming desperate, Oswald eased the young woman onto his lap – ignoring the pain in his leg as Jo shifted around to get comfortable. However, she noticed him wincing and frowned.

"I'm sorry…is it too painful?" Jo tried to climb off Oswald's lap but he shook his head and moved his hands to her waist, holding her firmly in place.

"I doubt that I could let you go now…" With a smirk, Oswald pulled Jo closer to him and began to leave kisses on her neck and collarbone. Jo's gasps caused Oswald to become hot and bothered, already eager to claim the young woman for himself – thus ending his uncertainty regarding her loyalty.

Oswald knew that it was important for Jo to put all her faith in his words before their relationship could progress but, at the same time, he felt that the only way he could fully achieve this goal was if Jo gave herself to him – this would both prove her loyalty to their partnership and give Oswald the intimacy he'd spent most of his life seeking. Sure, he'd always had his mother's love but Oswald wanted something more…something that only a woman like Josephina Carnell could give him.

And she did.

Within minutes Jo allowed Oswald to follow her into the bedroom, where they spent the night indulging themselves in one another.

* * *

When Jo woke up, she was surprised to feel an unfamiliar warmth besides her; sitting up in bed she glanced to the side to find Oswald lying in her bed, seemingly content with the new sleeping arrangements. She looked over his body with a smile; while not extremely muscular, Jo had to admit that Oswald was surprisingly well-built for someone of his stature. However the bruises from Oswald's encounter with Fish were also evident and she could help but gently touch the dark marks – recalling how furious Fish had been that day.

Jo then thought of the night she had shared with the umbrella guy. Although clearly inexperienced and clumsy at times, Oswald had been a very passionate lover; he'd left no inch of her untouched and had been very reluctant to allow their night together to end. It had been very different to the encounters she had had with the customers of Mooney's nightclub indeed. Oswald's touch had left her with a strange warmth – a desire to be close to someone – which she hadn't felt in a very long time. It was as if this new lover had been able to fill the void left behind by Charlie. This was all exciting, it was certainly scary, but truly thrilling to be around someone who could switch from the poetic Shakespeare to an amateur Christian Grey in a matter of minutes.

Oswald woke up to the sound of water running from the shower, already missing her touch: _his_ Josephina. Getting out of bed, Oswald was pleased to find that his suit had been neatly folded at the end of the bed – and Jo's undergarments were still tossed on the floor – reminding him of the night before. He could easily picture the young woman as she stripped down to her bare skin right before his eyes; allowing him to touch her without any restrictions. Although it still wasn't enough to satisfy his desire for both power and Jo's trust. The night had ended far too prematurely in Oswald's opinion, leaving him hungry for more.

However, just lying there in Jo's bed was satisfying enough for the time being.

When Jo stepped out of the bathroom, she was surprised to find her bed empty. "Oswald..?"

Quickly, Jo threw on her work clothes before running into the front room to find her new lover rummaging through the fridge in search of breakfast.

"Are you hungry?" Jo appeared in the doorway with a slight smile. Oswald moved away from the kitchen and nodded, practically dragging his bum leg across the floor; clearly their night of passion had worsened the strain on his knee. "Do you think that your leg will ever heal?" She asked without thinking, instantly wishing that she could withdraw such a personal and insensitive question.

"I doubt it." Oswald replied as he reached the doorway where Jo stood. He couldn't help but stare the young woman down; almost wishing that she hadn't already gotten dressed.

Jo thought for a moment, then she retreated into the bedroom momentarily – returning with a black umbrella. "I'm afraid it's not quite a cane but it should still serve its purpose." She handed it to him. "And it could be useful for the terrible Gotham downpours."

Oswald held the umbrella at his feet, using it as a cane as Jo had suggested. He walked the length of the small room and Jo clapped proudly. "You look rather dashing, Mr. Cobblepot."

Her comment made Oswald smirk smugly; he loved it when Jo complimented him – especially since she made such flattering comments rarely. While the umbrella wasn't ideal, Oswald had to admit that it was helpful in reducing the pain in his knee; as well as restoring some of his respectability. However it was the fact that it had been a thoughtful gesture from his new partner made the umbrella all the more significant to him.

"Would you care to take a stroll, Madame?" Oswald bowed down as far as he could, causing a surprised giggle to slip from Jo's lips.

She was embarrassed to say that she felt like a schoolgirl on a first date however she nodded at Oswald's request and took his arm. "I would be delighted, good sir."

And with that, the new companions made their way through the Gotham streets, arm in arm, to Bamonte's. Although this event had transpired more than once before, Oswald couldn't help but feel that this time was different. During the previous walks they had taken, he had been unable to escape the feeling that Jo had only been affectionate with him as a means of politeness but now he almost knew that the young woman beside him had linked her arm in his because she wanted to. Because she wanted _him_.

Within one night, Jo had gone from being his uneasy alliance to his loyal partner and lover – thus Oswald was certain that she was finally in his corner.

* * *

**A/N**

**If you've stuck around to read part 2 of my author's notes, then hi again!**

**Jo reads the last few lines of one of my favourite poems called 'Porphyria's Lover' by Robert Browning. One of the reasons that I chose this one is because I find that it's quite a scary reflection of Jo and Oswald's (Joswald's?) relationship. Then Oswald reads some of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 because I can really imagine him comparing Jo to a summer's day in order to charm her. **

**Oh, and I apologise for the lack of lemony goodness regarding Jo and Oswald's intimate night - perhaps a mature chapter will arise in the future, provided that readers would like to read that? I really wouldn't want to send half of you guys running for the hills after all, haha.**

**Thanks for reading and I'll see you all next chapter. Chapter 11 should be up within the next 10 days! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**

**Hi again! I hope you've all had a good week. **

**I've been stuck in writer's block so this chapter was literally written from start to finish within the last few hours; which is essentially a good thing since I've had my 'fanfiction head' on for several hours now haha. **

**Oh, and recently I've been searching my iTunes for songs that I think really reflect Oswald and Jo's relationship: 'Lock Me Up' by The Cab being one that I think suits them perfectly.**

**Anyway, I'll end my author's notes here. Thank you to everyone for the support so far - you've all been brilliant! :)**

* * *

The following morning at Bamonte's, Oswald and Jo stood cleaning the bar while Maroni and Falcone had a tense conversation about robbing some casino. Well that was Jo's take on it; Oswald seemed to have a much greater understanding of the context of their discussion because before she could register what was happening, her boyfriend had gone over to Maroni's table and was running his mouth about access tunnels. And within mere seconds, he had earned himself a seat at the table.

Jo was feeling as outcast as ever as Don Maroni sat discussing plans with Frankie and Oswald; leaving her to clean the restaurant single-handedly. Until now she'd just assumed that it was a guy thing – probably sexism – but this scenario was similarly occurring at Fish's because of her 'secret weapon.' Maybe the issue wasn't with her gender, but with Jo herself. While she was making progress on both sides, Maroni still hardly gave her the time of day and Fish was too distracted with Liza to discuss her plans with Jo. Heck, she hardly knew what else to do at Bamonte's.

Although that didn't mean that Jo couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation.

Maroni smirked at Oswald, clearly respecting him as a link in what was becoming a very long chain of connections. "You come off as all humble, but you got a little player in your heart."

"That's very perceptive of you sir." Oswald nodded with a chuckle, glancing over to where Jo was casually bent over one of the tables with a dishcloth; unaware of the fact that she was listening to every word. "The truth is, my name is Oswald Cobblepot."

Hearing her boyfriend's real name at Bamonte's struck a chord of fear within her and Jo looked up quickly; trying to get the gist of their conversation. Why the hell was he doing this to her?

Jo listened carefully; hearing Oswald mention both Fish and Falcone during his 'story.' And it made her feel sick – his cover would surely be blown along with her own.

However, Maroni and Oswald's laughter soon ceased and she couldn't help but look on in shock as Oswald's face came into contact with the table several times. "That's a funny story…" He chuckled, pulling Oswald's head back up to reveal broken skin and blood. "I hope you've got someone who can corroborate its truth."

For a second or two, Oswald glanced in Jo's direction as if to test her reaction. She wasn't sure whether Oswald was about to name her as a witness or accomplice or whatever she was to him at this point, or if that look in his eyes was just his way of begging for help – or both. Then he attempted to straighten up as best he could. "Detective James Gordon. Ask him."

Jo watched helplessly as Oswald was taken back to the kitchen by his arms, like some worthless piece of meat, about to be prepared for the slaughter. She couldn't help but feel that she owed Oswald something after this; he had protected her from harm, just like he'd promised. It would have been easy enough for him to name Jo the third party, and it probably would've saved him from another beating too…so why hadn't he dropped her in the middle? Why did a guy like Oswald, who could barely look after himself, care so much about sparing Jo from any persecution?

If Detective Gordon told a different story to Don Maroni then Oswald would be done for, Jo knew that much. She could've confirmed the wild story there and then; thus saving Oswald from a fate worse than death. However, Jo knew that her own life would be placed at risk if she was to offer her boyfriend yet another favour. So she didn't say a word, even though there was the chance that Detective Gordon would out her to Don Maroni.

* * *

Following Oswald's naming of Detective Gordon, Jo found herself driving to the precinct with Frankie Carbone and a few of Maroni's men in order to pick up the apparent witness. So far, it was proving to be an awkward trip out – with neither of them happy to be around the other – thus no conversation had been exchanged between the pair of them.

"So did you know about all that crap with Penguin?" Carbone asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

Deciding to lie, Jo shook her head. "No, why would I?"

"Because you and that dishwasher are close, Charlie. If I didn't know better I'd say you were fucking him."

"That's no concern of yours, Mr. Carbone." Jo insisted with a sharp glare. "Besides, what do you think we do? Discuss his past jobs while he rams me over the kitchen counter?"

"You're a real hard-faced bitch, you know that? The boss might not see it but I do. You and Cobblepot are playing games and if—"

"We're here." Jo stated bluntly as the car rolled up outside the GCPD. To be honest, she was relieved; Frankie was becoming too aware, that and the fact that he was giving her a headache.

Carbone climbed out of the car and Jo went to follow, however he shoved her back in the car and threw a sac at her. "Stay there, I don't want you getting in my way."

Jo rolled her eyes, "yes sir."

If she could've gotten away with making Frankie Carbone pay for his ill-treatment of her, Jo would've jumped at the chance. However, she wasn't someone who revelled in committing murder, nor did she want to deepen her involvement in any mafia business. She just wanted to survive. And Jo knew that she'd be using that excuse later when Jim Gordon would question her involvement in the Maroni Crime Family. Moreover, why she had shoved a sac over his head the minute Carbone threw him in the back of the car with her.

When they reached Bamonte's, Frankie forced Jo to help haul Detective Gordon into the building and at Maroni's table. However, despite her attempts to hide her emotions, the men knew that she was displeased about the way the detective was being treated. Once Jim was seated, Jo took the sac off his head, allowing him to take in his surroundings – seated at a table, surrounded by armed men and across from Sal Maroni himself, who was already tucking in to his dinner. Then there was Oswald Cobblepot who stared intently while still covered in blood.

Jo moved from behind Detective Gordon, smiling as she made her escape attempt. However, Maroni waved her back. "You wanted to become more involved, Charlie. Come, join us."

"Thank you, Don Maroni." _Yeah, thanks a lot…_

Despite Jim's shock at seeing Jo working with Fish's rival, he maintained his composure for long enough to confirm Oswald's story – saving him from any further abuse – as well as Jo from having her cover blown.

Maroni seemed delighted to have Oswald's story confirmed and seemed eager to put the earlier violent outburst behind them; Jo noted how stupid Oswald was to forgive their boss, and how smug he looked at having his loyalty established. Whereas she was still on the sidelines.

"I'll show Detective Gordon to the door." Jo said sharply, eager to move away from the men who were now laughing and praising Oswald.

"So this is your undercover job."

Jo closed the restaurant door, desperate for some air – even if she had to settle for the polluted Gotham smog. "Yes, it is." She sighed. "I'm really sorry for the way you were manhandled. I just have to become 'one of the guys' otherwise I return to Fish as a failure or in a body bag."

Jim nodded; while he didn't agree with Jo he did at least understand where she was coming from.

"But thank you for not naming me." She smiled and leant against the brick wall. "I was right when I said that I could trust you. Oswald trusts you too but…" Jo hesitated and quickly glanced back inside the restaurant, glaring at the way Oswald had suddenly become the centre of attention. "I wouldn't trust him too much if I were you."

_Well if he gets praise from Maroni, I deserve to take his other connections for myself._

"What makes you say that?" Detective Gordon asked, sensing a change in Jo's mood.

She lowered her voice, deciding to try and take control from Oswald. "Oswald is a bit of a sycophant. He'll do anything for the attention and approval of those in higher power. I mean, he hardly had any trouble naming you to Maroni, did he? So who's to say that he won't do it again?" Jo paused, observing Jim's reaction – he was definitely contemplating the truth in her words. Just as she'd wanted. "No, I'm sorry, forget I said anything. Oswald respects you and I'd hate to ruin this…thing that the pair of you have going on. Even if I'd be a much more reliable confidant…"

In that moment, the detective realised what this was about; Jo wanted Jim to move his trust over to her. However, was it really such a bad thing? After his previous conversation with the performer, Detective Gordon had realised that she was simply trying to get by in a city that was constantly changing under power. But then again, so was Oswald.

"I have to go, Ms. Carnell. Good evening."

Jo inhaled deeply, hiding her annoyance behind an incredibly insincere smile. "You're making a big mistake, you know. But that's typical of a Gotham detective."

Before Jim could respond, Jo had retreated inside Bamonte's; returning with the same deceitful, forced smile as the men continued to drink and joke around her.

* * *

She hated every minute of that evening and, for the first time in a long while, was eager to start her shift at Fish's. Sure, the men were perverts but at least they acted like Jo existed. At Bamonte's, she just felt like an empty space in a room full of men with guns. Well, she'd show them. And while Jo was busy proving her worth, she'd also show Fish that the real secret weapon was her.

"I'm heading home, Don Maroni." Jo announced, growing tired of listening to the drunk men laughing around her. She didn't want to be there, nor was she needed; it wasn't like she was regarded as an equal anyway. Her boss nodded, hardly paying attention as he continued to tell stories of robberies and draft plans for the future of the Maroni Crime Family.

Oswald noticed Jo heading for the door and followed her, still desperate to be close to her. "Where are you going, Josephina?"

"Home, like I said."

"I could come with you." Oswald suggested, trailing his hand down Jo's arm. Smirking, he lowered his voice. "We could continue where we left off last night…"

"No, you should stay here." Jo moved away from Oswald's wandering hands. "Maroni likes you; you should take advantage of that while he's getting wasted." She looked back at the table with a frown, almost bitter. "Besides, you're an important part of the casino robbery now."

"Only if you're sure, Josephina my dear."

Jo forged a smile and nodded before she walked out the door, without so much as a kiss on the cheek. Normally, Oswald wouldn't have expected Jo to display such affection towards him but after their previous night of passion, he'd have thought that the typical exchange between lovers was compulsory.

From the moment he broke into Jo's apartment, Oswald knew that earning her adoration would be a difficult feat - however he hadn't expected the task to be almost impossible. One minute they'd be sharing a bed and a night and the next Oswald would be getting frostbite from the cold shoulder and icy glares that Jo was giving him.

But it didn't take Oswald long to realise why Jo had been so frustrated; making her more like him than he had originally thought. Jo wanted power. She wanted the same respect as any man or woman who made a living in the mob world. It was only natural; especially within a woman who had clearly been looked down on for much of her life.

"Hey Penguin, we need more drinks over here." Frankie said, taking Oswald's seat beside Maroni.

Oswald scowled at the man who was second-in-command to Don Maroni; he was essentially getting in the way of his rise to power – an obstacle that needed to be eliminated.

Then there was the fact that he was continuously cornering his girlfriend. Jo always played down these encounters but Oswald was aware of almost every single one, and this made him more determined to do something about this issue.

Before Oswald could climb further, Frankie Carbone needed to be cut out of the picture. He was too close to Maroni, which would always be problematic for the both of them. And maybe his elimination would thaw the frustration in Jo's heart; which would prove necessary if Oswald hoped that his lover would put all her faith in him. After all, he was beginning to see how useful Jo would become.

* * *

**A/N**

**I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit of a slow-burner, big dramatic chapters are on the way though I promise - one aspect was hinted at at the end of this chapter. **

**Oh and for the readers who want to see more of Harvey Bullock, he will make an appearance in the next few chapters :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**

**Hi there, I hope you've had a good week. I think I'm finally getting over my writer's block so I'm glad to have finished this chapter. **

**This chapter carries on directly from the last and is a sort-of mix of events from episode 5 and 6 but after a few more chapters it will stray away slightly from an episodic structure for a while since I want to fill in the gaps before continuing on the basis of each episode per chapter. The more I write for Jo the more I love her character tbh, although I'm always scared of making her too weak or too mob-ish this early on since I really want to develop her as a character before she either rises to power or experiences a crushing downfall (I haven't decided yet.)**

**Oh and finally, because Harvey has been receiving a lot of love so far, he's quite a key player in this chapter - and will be for a few chapters to come which hopefully pleases you all to hear.**

**Thanks for reading so far, I hope you like this chapter! :)**

* * *

On her way home, Jo was handed a small bottle from a man who appeared to be in large supply. She examined the item curiously; the snake image and the suspiciously green-coloured liquid enough to deter her from drinking it. That and the fact that she was clearly one of the few citizens around who was regularly kept up to date with the latest crime news. She had been given Viper and, while the other recipients of the drug breathed in the substance without a second thought, Jo decided that she would make good on her favour to Jim Gordon. If there was one thing that the performer didn't forget ever, it was a face. And she had gotten a very good look at the man giving out free samples of Viper.

Upon entering the GCPD, Jo was startled by the chaos already being caused by this mysterious drug. Everywhere she looked she saw officers attempting to apprehend abnormally strong people; although these attempts seemed feeble at best. Whatever chemicals were in Viper's recipe, Jo knew that the combination was deadly and that it had to be eradicated from the streets before every citizen in Gotham had gained super strength and cravings for milk and cheese.

Within minutes, Jo found herself being plunged into a room with Detectives Gordon and Bullock, along with the Captain herself and a far too eager man who seemed to work in forensics.

"So this guy, Potolsky, he just gave you this bottle?" Essen asked Jo the same question again, still in disbelief that somebody so unhinged would roam the streets of Gotham with this deadly chemical – especially without a clear motive.

"Yes, it's like I said. I was walking home and this guy was carrying a sack. He was handing those out to everyone on the streets, practically forced it into my hand." Jo explained, adamant to ensure that she wouldn't be suspected as an accomplice; apparently being the only recipient to have not opened the bottle. "He seemed really anxious. Dark hair, beard…long jacket? If you show me a photo I'll gladly identify him and confirm that this Potolsky is your guy."

_At least if I'm here I don't have to go home to Oswald for a while…_

* * *

"Hey, wait a second." After she had assisted with the investigation, Harvey followed Jo to the door, eager to thank her. "You've really helped us out, you know."

"I didn't really do anything. Anyone could've handed that bottle to the police." She sighed, "it was just luck that one of those fell into my hands…"

"Yeah well all those people that took those bottles used 'em. Out of all those people you were the only one to come forward. I think that makes you good for somethin'."

Jo shrugged, "if you say so."

"So what's up with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't seem very…you're not like yourself." Harvey said after struggling to find the right words.

"And how would you know?" Jo asked sharply, noticing how Detective Gordon had his eyes on the pair – evidently concerned for his partner's wellbeing.

Chuckling, Harvey took off his hat and rubbed the back of his neck; Jo assumed this was because the detective was exhausted and not because of the truth – he was embarrassed. "I, uh, sometimes drop by Mooney's. You're always a different person there…on stage and all. Well, at least that's what I think."

"Oh my god…" Jo laughed and hung her head, feeling slightly mortified. "You've actually seen me on that stage?"

Harvey smirked, finding Jo's behaviour amusing – cute, even. "Are you embarrassed?"

"Yes..!" Jo yelped, still giggling nervously. "Go on, I'm waiting…"

"Waiting for what?"

Jo furrowed her brow, meeting the detective's gaze. "You're not going to make fun of me?"

"Why the heck would I do that? Who do ya think I am, some cruel bully?" He wasn't going to lie, Jo's comment was slightly offending.

"Remember when you interrogated me in my mom's café? You insinuated that I was a teacher's pet, a troublemaker and…a whore? Please correct me if I'm mistaken, detective." She raised an eyebrow, her voice now sarcastic.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Harvey grimaced, remembering how rude he'd been that day. He truly regretted it; especially since he wanted Jo to think of him as a somewhat good person. "Look, can we just forget I said anything? Let's just start over and all that."

With a slight laugh, Jo nodded. "Since you asked so nicely…"

"Hey, what can I say? I'm a nice guy." He grinned, deciding to test Jo's humour. Honestly, Harvey didn't see himself as a good guy at all – he hadn't for years – but maybe if Jo regarded him as such, he could also believe it.

"This isn't a city for nice guys. And besides, what kind of cop is good nowadays?" She twisted her lips and folded her arms across her chest. "But I'll humour you. You're definitely not a conventional detective."

Harvey thought for a moment before deciding to try his luck further. "You wouldn't want to grab lunch sometime, would ya? I know this joint that makes the best burgers in Midtown."

"That sounds lovely, but…" Jo paused; how could she explain her reasons behind her reclusive behaviour to a cop? "I'm not really the type of girl you want as a friend. Besides, I'm…a vegetarian." Jo decided that the only way to avoid getting close to the detective via their lunch arrangement was to lie. She wasn't a vegetarian per se, she was just highly health-conscious – that and the fact that Jo knew that befriending Harvey would eventually blow up in her face.

Before the detective could suggest another outing, Jo announced that she had to run some errands for her mother and left the building without so much as a goodbye. That was twice now that Jo had left without hesitation. And she knew that it wouldn't be the last time.

Since she was already in too deep with Oswald, Jo couldn't risk getting close to Harvey as well. Sure, he seemed nice, despite being a little rough around the edges – but he was playing for a whole other team. Jo was definitely becoming a foundation within the mob side of Gotham, whether she wanted to or not; thus an alliance with a detective would be highly risky. Or would it?

Oswald had Detective Gordon so why couldn't Jo recruit Detective Bullock as her own informant? He'd definitely act as a safety net should her plan go wrong – it wasn't like she had many friends in this game. But was making associations really the best way to advance? Jo thought of Fish; she didn't really have any solid links to other people – and that had worked well for her so far.

* * *

Shortly after Jo left, Oswald decided to go home too. He wanted to ensure that she was still _his_ and that her loyalty wasn't wavering because of the evident jealousy she held towards him. When he jimmied open the door, Oswald was surprised to find that his girlfriend wasn't at home like she said she'd be. Feeling concerned for her wellbeing, Oswald decided to go outside to find her; Jo was a pretty girl and an easy target for the shadows lurking in the night. But alternatively, she had shown him a whole other side to her – call it a dark side – so Oswald had a feeling that Jo would've had a chance against any late-night predators. Perhaps she'd gone to her mother's, or even to Mooney's. Jo had seemed irritated so maybe she'd gone to them to let off some steam. Speaking of mothers, Oswald knew that he'd soon have to face his own. He hoped that, since Gertrud believed him to be dead, she'd welcome him back with open arms and her typical motherly love.

Examining the street carefully, Oswald realised that Jo did in fact live just a few blocks away from his mother; perhaps they had already become acquainted? That would've been convenient to say the least. Oswald had always known growing up that, if he were to ever find a suitable partner, his mother wouldn't be too receptive to the thought of him becoming close to another. They had always been close, Oswald and Gertrud, so introducing Jo into the picture would prove difficult at best.

When Oswald reached the run-down complex he used to call home, he stumbled up the stairs to his mother's apartment and knocked on the door. "Mother..!" He called to her from outside, reassuring her that no sinister presence was lurking on the other side.

The first thing he heard was her babbling, ranting on to herself about Oswald's sudden reappearance after his long absence. When she eventually opened the door, he smiled and waited for some form of affection. "Hi mom, I'm alive." Oswald announced, just in case his mother had forgotten that he had been pronounced dead not too long ago – after all, her reception to him wasn't exactly warm. Gertrud sighed with exhaustion and Oswald followed her inside and made himself at home in the armchair. Well, this still was his home.

"Why you don't call your mother in all this time?" She began to interrogate her son as soon as he sat down; causing Oswald to roll his eyes like a child. "I'll tell you why…you got tangled in some hussy's demon purse..!"

Oswald thought of Jo. When his mother put it that way, she sounded like some manipulative entity who was going to bleed Oswald dry until he held no further use. But surely she'd never do that to him.

"She's no hussy mother. Josephina is a very nice girl…" Oswald insisted, smiling to himself at the very thought of his girlfriend.

However, Gertrud wasn't smiling. "Y-You've met someone? A woman?" She paused, her eyes narrowing. "A _whore_..!" She spat the word like it was poison. Like Jo was poison.

"Josephina is not like that, mother. She helped me in my time of need; she fed me a-and gave me a place to sleep. They hurt me, mother. I just wanted respect and they kicked me down…they tried to kill me. But Josephina saved me."

Despite her son's heartfelt words, Gertrud wasn't easily moved – in fact, she seemed even more irritated. "You don't need a…a hussy to protect you, Oswald. Taking care of you is my job; I'm your mother..!",

"Well _mom_…" Oswald knew how his mother hated it when he addressed her so informally. "I care very deeply for Josephina and she reciprocates my feelings. I-I've never met anyone like her, she understands me…we're very alike you know."

Gertrud knelt down beside the chair, holding her son's arm protectively. "My poor Oswald. She's lured you in too deep and now you don't know what you should do…" Gertrud genuinely appeared to believe her own words: that her son was some sort of slave under his new – and first – girlfriend's ruling.

"You should meet her mom. You'd like her very much, I promise."

"I won't allow you to bring that harlot into this house..!" His mother hissed before she got back to her feet.

Oswald pouted and stood up huffily. "Fine, mother. I'd like to take a bath."

* * *

As he sunk deep into the grimy Gotham waters, Oswald recalled how much he loved bath time – and how much he'd missed taking them. Josephina's apartment only had a shower so getting clean could never be as tranquil, nor could he ever bask in the warm water in the bathtub with his lover. He imagined what it would be like, to have Jo join him in the tub, leaning her back against his chest as they washed together. She'd run her soft hands over his back; cleansing his skin of dirt and his soul from the day's misdeeds. Then it would be his turn to touch her – to purify her own damaged self. The more than Oswald dwelled on it, the more he realised that Jo was damaged; she was a delicate porcelain doll that was cracking under the pressure of staying alive while climbing an unsteady ladder. He loved that image. Oswald needed to know that he was the one with the power because Jo needed to need him.

With a twist of his lips, Oswald imagined Jo's face as he kissed her and claimed her for himself. The whole scenario seemed very vivid within his mind; the sound of the water spilling out of the bath and onto the wooden floor mixed with Jo's cries of desire as he satisfied every need he had been longing to fulfil since their first encounter.

Oswald leant his head back, resting it on the back of the bathtub as he closed his eyes, smirking to himself as he pictured Jo's form standing above him; smiling in that cute yet alluring manner which she had mastered so well. Despite what his mother had said, Oswald was very fond of his girlfriend. Although he had to admit that, while he enjoyed being in the company of the true Josephina Carnell, he had often felt much more at ease when watching her façade from afar at Mooney's. Because, while evidently a damaged item, the real Jo was unpredictable; at least when he had watched her on stage, Oswald was able to predict her every move with ease – as opposed to having to tread carefully for fear of offending her. Jo's mood swings were something that Oswald would definitely had to watch out for if he ever wanted her full loyalty because, while he revelled in their intimate moments, he was concerned how far she'd go when consumed by jealousy.

However Oswald would soon experience jealousy of his own; thus his own actions and capabilities under such feelings would be discovered.

Gertrud knocked on the bathroom door, taking Oswald away from his deep thoughts. "Are you alright in there, my darling?"

Oswald smiled as he opened his eyes once more. "Yes mother. I do love bathtime."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**

**Hi everyone, I hope you're all well. **

**I'm sorry that this update is quite late; I've not been in a good place recently so I've found it difficult to focus long enough to finish a chapter. But I still love writing this fic for you guys I promise.**

**This chapter is very descriptive/wordy again but it's all cute and relevant and the next chapter will rather heavily involve Harvey, which I think will please many of you readers. Also, I apologise for my extensive use of literary references in this fic; I promise to tone these down in the future chapters when Oswald becomes more involved in the mob world since I feel that his love for literature is one thing that helps keep Oswald away from the edge, if that makes any sense. Poetry and novels kind of keep him sane?**

**Anyhoo, please enjoy this chapter and review if you have the chance. Also thanks for all follows/faves/reviews so far because they meant a lot. **

**The next chapter should be up within 7-9 days! :)**

* * *

Jo was in the shower when Oswald returned from bathtime at his mother's; he could hear the water running and Jo's soft voice singing on the other side of the wall. During his time as her roommate, Oswald had deduced that Jo loved taking showers; she could spend from 15 minutes to a full hour in the bathroom getting clean and would always hum or sing to herself during the process. However, he wanted nothing more than to join his lover during the times in which she found herself at ease.

While he had taken a few showers during his stay, Oswald had yet to take a shower with Jo. And of course he planned to.

Fancying his luck, Oswald tried the bathroom door: locked. Of course she'd have locked it.

He knocked on the door. "Josephina, please may I come in?"

Jo's singing stopped and she stood frozen in the shower, deciding to play the innocent game. "Um…why?"

Oswald chuckled, "I figured we could…get clean together?" It was a pathetic excuse seeing that he'd already taken a bath at his mother's but Oswald was keen to enter Jo's most blissful moments and become a part of them. A foundation, even.

"I'm almost done in here so there's little point. You can still have a shower though, if you'd like." Jo made the effort to quickly rinse herself and jump out of the shower, resting her head against the door. Being around Oswald was exhausting to say the least. Still, it was exciting too.

"But I'd much rather have you help me…" He cooed from the other side of the door, pouting slightly in the hope that Jo would sense his desperation and give in to his wishes.

"Sorry Oswald, I'm clean and tired now." She sighed, "maybe some other time, alright?"

Oswald sucked in a breath, finding it difficult to control his anger. "Josephina, are you not interested in me anymore? You and I had an unforgettable evening yesterday a-and now you choose to shun my advances, why is that? Do you not care about me?"

Jo hugged her towel, still concealing her body nervously. "Oswald, just because I don't want to share a shower with you doesn't mean I don't like you. I'm just tired."

_Yeah, tired of being constantly belittled while you bask in Maroni's praise…_

Despite not replying, Jo knew that Oswald was still standing on the other side of the door so she threw on a shirt and shorts before unlocking the door and stepping out. "It's all yours…" She gestured towards the shower before moving over to the fridge in search of food.

It was undoubtable that Jo was tired, hungry and eager for her own space but even so, he couldn't allow the dancer to shut him down without an explanation.

Oswald frowned and hobbled over to her, slamming the fridge door shut in an attempt to get Jo's attention. "Look at me!"

"What? Am I not allowed to eat the food in my own fridge now?" She met his eyes with a stern glare. "Oswald, watch my lips. I. Am. Tired."

"But I…I want to hold you close. Just like last night." Oswald tried to kiss Jo but she moved away, insistent on spurning his advances and going to bed. However that seemed difficult, with Oswald having trapped her against the kitchen counter with no exit strategy.

"It's really late Oswald. Please let me go to bed."

"Do you not want to be with me, Josephina? Do you hate me now that you have no use for me? I love you, how can you hurt me in this way?!" His voice was getting louder and more frantic as Jo leaned further back against the counter, scared that Oswald would lose control and hit her – or worse. If she had learnt anything about Oswald recently, it was that it was important to deal with him carefully – especially during his moments of agitation.

Forcing herself to stare straight at him, Jo whispered one of the hardest things that she'd ever had to say: "I love you too." Saying the 'L' word almost killed Jo but she knew that her safety could have depended on it.

Jo's declaration struck a chord with Oswald and he couldn't stop himself from smiling proudly as he threw his arms around her. "That makes me very happy to hear, Josephina."

"Good, now can I go to sleep?" Jo had never been a patient person and she hated being so uncomfortably close to her lodger/lover in his moments of uncertainty. Besides, she genuinely was exhausted.

"May I sleep in your bed?" Oswald asked, his voice becoming fragile and innocent once again as he flashed Jo a weak and apologetic smile. "I…I promise not to touch you."

"No, Oswald. You sleep out here on the sofa, remember? That was our arrangement, afterall…" Jo insisted, wasting no time in moving towards the bedroom door.

"Oh, alright. Goodnight, Josephina." Oswald called after her, expecting a reply.

Jo didn't say anything and, instead, closed the bedroom door; leaving Oswald to make his own bed on the sofa once again.

Oswald wasn't going to lie: he was confused by Jo's behaviour. How could someone so regularly change their mood with ease? And why did her swaying affections not deter him?

The simple explanation was that Jo was different. She was dangerously beautiful but also dangerously intelligent. Oswald couldn't shake the feeling that Jo was, in more ways than one, a lot like him; they had both been kicked down by the city, left alone to cling to the edge. Jo had said it herself, that her childhood had been full of ridicule – much like his own – and it was this that had pushed her close to the edge once before. Oswald wanted to see that side to Jo, despite having caught the odd glimpse. He wanted to see Jo's dark side; it would be similar to the one that he'd almost revealed to her, that much Oswald was sure of. They were kindred spirits…two of a kind…birds of a feather, even. Although he did hate that reference due to his own torment, Oswald couldn't help but wonder what bird his Josephina would be, should he become a…Penguin. It would have to be a beautiful type with an equally beautiful song to sing. Perhaps she could be a nightingale, a canary or…a dove.

Doves were symbolic of love and devotion, while also having connotations of grace and purity. Yes, that was perfect. Perhaps Jo would even accept it as Oswald's pet name for her. _His_ pretty little dove.

Perhaps giving Jo her own nickname to resemble that of a feathered creature too would make them equals. This way, she could truly be the Juliet to his Romeo.

Oswald sighed and continued to pace the room, deep in thought. He wandered over to Jo's book shelf and began searching her collection for any of his favourite novels. Sure enough, just as he'd expected, the shelves had been adorned with many of the classics; along with some of Shakespeare's greatest works. Oswald hoped that he would get to read aloud from these books in the near future, while he picked up the copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ and began to read it all over again.

* * *

When she was finally alone, Jo quickly moved the chair in front of her dressing table under the door handle – just in case Oswald happened to forget about the boundaries she had set down when he had first come to stay with her.

However, Jo knew that it was her own fault. She'd been flirting with Oswald all week, whether that was her original intention or not. And she allowed him to sleep with her the previous night; who could've blamed her lodger for wanting more or even thinking something of the situation?

Jo hated the fact that she'd gotten herself into a one-sided relationship. She didn't even love Oswald…right?

Love was a word that had lost all meaning to Jo long ago. Both Charlie's death and the nature of her occupation at Mooney's had greatly sped up the process but it was going to happen sooner or later anyway. Gotham wasn't a city where love could conquer all obstacles. They weren't living in Verona or England and Oswald wasn't Romeo or Mr. Darcy or any other literary character who had made her swoon during her adolescence. It wasn't his fault but Oswald would never be the type of man whom Jo thought she'd end up with – who she'd dreamed of marrying.

And at this stage, Jo was doubtful that she would ever meet someone who fit the description. She was becoming increasingly convinced that love would be forever out of reach for her; that her only option was to marry for money, power and, above all, safety.

But for now, Jo knew that she'd have to keep Oswald close – at least until a more beneficial option came along.

Perhaps she could master the art of forgery in order to get through this: the forging being with her own feelings towards Oswald. Jo needed to love him; or at least, convince herself that she did if she planned on surviving.

* * *

Jo woke up early the next morning to the sound of knocking on the bedroom door. "W-What is it?" She answered groggily, still too tired to get out of bed to remove the chair from under the door handle.

"This will only work if you…you let me in, Josephina…"

"Oswald, I'm still not up for sex right now. It's…" She turned to the bedside table and squinted at the clock. "…5AM."

_He's certainly eager…now I'll never get back to sleep._

Groaning, Jo slipped out of bed and threw on her dressing gown before shuffling over to the door in order to get rid of the chair. When she swung open the door, Oswald was standing there eagerly; his suit creaseless to match his smile. Jo noticed the subtle change to his hair and smiled, thinking how good the new style suited him.

Oswald took Jo's hands enthusiastically in his and began to recite a passage which she almost instantly recognised.

"_If I profane with my unworthiest hand_

_This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this…_

_My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand_

_To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss._"

"Did you stay awake all night reading Shakespeare, Oswald?" Jo asked, almost touched by the gesture. "Does this mean that I'm Juliet?"

"Of course." Oswald replied, his voice completely serious. "…You do know what happens in this part, don't you?"

Jo knew; how could she forget? _They kiss, how convenient…_

Oswald bent his knees slightly so that Jo could have better access to his lips. After all, he knew that Jo wouldn't be able to resist a suggestion based on literary actions.

However, to Oswald's surprise, Jo didn't move. Instead she continued to stare straight through Oswald; becoming increasingly lost in her own thoughts. While she didn't – or couldn't – love Oswald, how was he able to have these almost irresistible moments right before her eyes?

To capture Jo's attention, Oswald took her chin and tilted it upwards so that her green eyes could meet his own in a soft encounter. She couldn't help but feel a fire building in her cheeks as Oswald followed the course of the play by tenderly kissing her lips. And to her own surprise, Jo found herself enjoying the kiss, just as she had done a few days before.

After the moment had passed, Jo moved out of Oswald's grasp with the hint of a blush. While she couldn't love Oswald, that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy having him around as her self-proclaimed 'lover.'

"So…Romeo, are you going to work today?" Jo smirked, leaning against the door frame.

Her subtle compliment made Oswald smile proudly. "Yes, I suppose so. Since Don Maroni favours me, I feel that it would be wise to…maintain this trust."

"Ah, of course." Jo hated discussing Oswald's ever-growing role within Maroni's unit and with that, her mood had quickly declined once more. "Because he respects you, could you tell him that I won't be able to work today?" She feigned a cough, "I fear it could be the flu."

"Of course, Josephina." Oswald replied, believing her act almost immediately. Taking her arm, Oswald escorted his girlfriend back to bed in case she'd forgotten where it was during the last minute or two. "You must rest, alright? I'll be sure to care for you."

"Thank you…" _I just wanted a day off work not a servant._ "But I insist that you go to work. One of us has to make a living and besides, you said it yourself, Don Maroni trusts you now."

Reluctantly, Oswald nodded. "You're right. But I promise to be home early."

"Oh there's no need. I'm still going to Mooney's this evening."

"What? Why?"

"Because we can't afford to lose both of my paychecks." She smiled and touched his hand, attempting to reassure him. "Anyway, if I rest all day I should be well for my shift at 5."

"You do work hard, my dear. You're a beautiful, honest woman and I'm so lucky to have you by my side in this. Oswald smiled and kissed her cheek. "Do take care. Promise me you'll rest all day."

"Yes, I promise."

As soon as Oswald had left for work, Jo climbed out of bed and poured herself a glass of vodka to drink on the sofa. She needed it.

On the sofa, Jo noticed her copy of _Romeo and Juliet_, with many of the pages having been dog-eared. Flicking through the book, she noticed that Oswald had saved the pages with the most romantic quotes. What an old, romantic soul he was.

She smiled to herself and held the book close to her chest; it was as if it was the most precious possession she owned – with Oswald's words to her within the pages.

Maybe Jo didn't love him, but she was definitely fond of him.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N**

**Gah I lost track of the date; sorry this should've been up several days ago! **

**But, without saying much, this chapter has to be one of my favourites so far - it does open up a whole new door for the entire fic.**

**I'll continue my notes at the end...hope you like this!**

* * *

In the evening, Jo headed to Mooney's to work her shift as promised. It was safe to say that, out of her two jobs, this one made her feel more at ease – even if it meant giving the occasional blowjob to strangers old enough to be her father.

Fish had been paying Jo both more money and more attention since she had become her undercover spy; a fact which had delighted Jo very much. She had always admired Fish, so being close to her boss at last was a very good sign – especially if she was soon going to take down Don Falcone.

When it was Jo's turn to perform a song, she felt strangely confident and almost eager to get on the stage. Perhaps singing had become Jo's way of relaxing, or venting her emotions – or both – but she had recently taken to the idea of being centre stage. In more ways than one.

Harvey had spent all day (and the previous night) thinking about Jo. Ever since they'd met, it was evident that there was some sort of spark between them; she was a strong young woman who wasn't afraid to challenge him – and he did like that about her. That, and the fact that she was beautiful and witty, made Jo fascinating in his book. And although Jim clearly had a clear amount of disdain for the dancer, Harvey thought she was absolutely brilliant.

Knowing that she worked at Mooney's almost every evening, Harvey paid the nightclub a visit; even though he had great difficulty answering Fish when she enquired about the surprise visit.

"I'm here to see you, Fish." He insisted, taking a seat at her table and ordering a bottle of Jack.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise, Harvey. It's been a while since you've visited me on a social call only." Fish smiled at him, instantly believing the lie while sipping her own glass of wine.

"You must have a good show lined up tonight…the place is full." Harvey said, looking around the room at all the patrons – as well as looking for any sign of Jo.

Fish nodded, "there's always a good show here, Harvey darling. I do have good girls, after all." The lights grew dim again as the pianist began to play. "Speaking of good girls…" She gestured towards the stage and Harvey followed Fish's eyes to where Jo stood, holding the microphone stand.

Of course it didn't take Jo long to notice that her new friend of sorts was sat at Fish's table but she just didn't know how to feel about him being there: Harvey almost seemed out of place. Like he belonged somewhere better.

"Jo…that's your cue!" She turned to the pianist, who had now been playing the same few notes for longer than he should have; hence why he was now hissing a reminder for her to start.

With an apologetic smile, Jo nodded at the pianist and finally began to sing.

"_You had plenty money, 1922 _

_You let other women make a fool of you _

_Why don't you do right, like some other men do_

_Get out of here and get me some money too _

_You're sittin' down and wonderin' what it's all about _

_You ain't got no money, they will put you out _

_Why don't you do right, like some other men do?_

_Get out of here and get me some money too…"_

Throughout the whole of the song, Harvey noticed how the patrons' gazes didn't wander away from the stage in the slightest – particularly the eyes of a highly wealthy man, who turned to Fish at the end of Jo's performance with a smirk and a nod. It didn't take a genius to work out what was going on; the arrangement that was being made before his eyes.

Harvey felt sick at the thought and as Fish clicked her fingers and told Butch to inform Jo of her 'appointment' he knew that he'd have to find a way to get the young woman away from her role as a sex toy before it became all she knew.

Jo belonged somewhere better.

* * *

There was an impatient knock on the dressing room door as Jo was pulling up her stockings. "I'll be out in a minute, Butch. Keep your hair on!"

The knocking continued and Jo groaned, rushing over to the door and peeking behind it. She blinked in surprise when she saw that Butch wasn't at the door, nor were her fellow performers. "Detective Bullock, this is a surprise. You're not here because of work are you?"

Harvey chuckled and shook his head. "No, you're not in any trouble…unless you want to confess to committing a crime?"

"Oh, you know me, Detective. I'm a bad egg." Jo smiled to herself, knowing that he wouldn't realise the truth in her words. "Come in, by the way. I'm just finishing up."

She held the door open and Harvey checked the space behind him once before following the dancer into the dressing room.

Jo sat down on the leather sofa and patted the empty space beside her, indicating that the detective join her. "What're you doing here anyway? I was surprised to see you at Fish's table…did you have some business with her?"

"Heh…actually I'm here to talk to you, Ms. Carnell." Harvey struggled to meet her eyes with those words, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Is it important?" Jo asked without thinking, coming off slightly disinterested. "No, sorry. What I meant to say was can it wait until tomorrow? I…I have a client in ten minutes."

"I'm afraid not. We didn't get to finish our conversation yesterday at the GCPD."

"Alright, how can I help you?" She decided to listen while fixing her hair; although a feeling of dread was building up inside her.

Harvey let out a deep sigh, "let me take you out to dinner to thank you…for the other day, you know?"

Jo blinked in surprise and moved away from the mirror, her green eyes meeting Harvey's anxious gaze – he clearly wasn't in his comfort zone. Frankly, neither was Jo. "How about a coffee one afternoon?"

"See, we can get coffee anytime. I figured that the best way to make it up to you is to take you out for a slap up meal tomorrow night" He grumbled, "Besides, I want to spend time with you."

The performer really didn't know what to say. Harvey had made his feelings for her apparent in so many words, at least; however Jo just didn't know how to respond. Sure enough, recently, she had grown attached to the detective but did she just want a friendship with him and nothing more?

"As nice as that sounds, I'm going to have to decline."

"Can I ask why?"

"I'm washing my hair tomorrow."

"Aw come on Jo, don't give me that excuse." Harvey groaned, chuckling to mask his disappointment. "If you don't want to spend time with me, just tell me."

"It's not that…I've just got a lot on my plate at the moment…" Jo sighed and turned back towards the mirror; if only to avoid witnessing the potential damage that her words had caused. "So I can't go anywhere with you. I just don't have the time, I'm truly sorry."

"Maybe you'd have more free time if you walked away from this place…" Harvey said without even thinking. He didn't want to disrespect Fish but Jo was definitely better off in a different line of work.

"Is that what this is about?" Jo stood up. "If you were as eager to be my friend as you say, you wouldn't care about who I am on the outside."

"Yeah well maybe I don't just want to be your friend. Maybe I want more, which is why I can't stand to see you in this place, Jo."

"Please don't put me in this position." Jo begged, hanging her head. She knew that she'd end up with a migraine once Harvey left. "You're a decent guy but—"

"Ooh, who's this handsome gent? A friend of yours, Jo?" Kitty entered the dressing room and smirked upon seeing Jo hiding away with a detective.

Harvey stood up, trying his best to act as if Jo hadn't just shot down his attempt at issuing her with an invitation. "Detective Harvey Bullock, ma'am."

"Well Harvey, I'm Kitty." She winked at him, then turned her attention to Jo who was trying to hide away at the dressing table. "Jo, you didn't tell me that you had a gentleman caller."

"That's because I don't." Jo insisted, pinning her hair up in a bun before turning around. "Besides, shouldn't you be upstairs now?"

Kitty shrugged, "I don't feel like it today. You two should go upstairs instead…"

"Well I wouldn't argue with that." Harvey chuckled, only half joking. To be honest, he just really wanted to get Jo's attention; to make her laugh and accept his dinner offer.

"Harvey, I've already said that I won't go out with you." Jo pointed her finger in his direction. "I don't go out on dates with any guys – especially not cops."

"Alright, I understand." Harvey placed his hat on top of his head and left the room dejectedly. "Good evening."

As soon as he had left, Kitty wasted no time in cornering her friend. "What was that? He was asking you out on a date – a free meal, Jo – and one with a cop no less. Why would you turn him down?!"

"I'm not interested in dating anyone at the moment." Jo insisted, standing up and straightening her skirt. "Besides, he's a cop and I'm a rich man's prostitute. That didn't work out the last time, did it?"

"Jo, Charlie died because he was stupid enough to challenge Falcone not because of you. This Harvey guy seems like he's got a good head on his shoulders and he's been in that game a lot longer than Charlie so just relax and go out for dinner with him."

"I can't, Kitty." Jo sighed and lowered her voice. "I'm already seeing someone."

"Ooh really? Who's this lucky guy?"

Jo grimaced and shook her head. "Forget I said anything."

"No, I won't. If you're fucking someone I want to know." Kitty said with an intrigued smirk, sitting down beside Jo. "I won't tell, come on."

Sighing, Jo stood up and locked the dressing room door. "Oswald Cobblepot."

"No, really who is he?"

Jo smiled apologetically; her guilty face being enough to gain Kitty's belief – and utter disgust.

"I thought Fish and Falcone had him killed…"

"The detective who was given the task didn't do it. When Oswald returned to Gotham he came to me for help and I could hardly throw him out to fend for himself, now could I?"

"Are you stupid? He's not some stray dog who needs you to care for him, Jo! Do you want to get thrown into Gotham's finest rivers with a bullet in your head?!" Kitty hissed, cornering her friend against the door. "My god Jo. Please tell me this is some sick joke…or a nightmare."

Shaking her head, Jo took Kitty's hand desperately. "Please, don't tell anyone. Nobody can find out…especially not Fish."

"Oh Fish will find out, Jo." Kitty said, pulling her hand away. "I'm gonna have to tell her."

"What?"

"We can tell her that Oswald threatened you – that you had no choice. Maybe then she'll understand and only that Penguin creep will suffer the consequences that come with pissing Fish off."

"No, I can't let you do that. Oswald is a nice guy beneath his bizarre quirks…he's different with me." Jo attempted to explain, still blocking the door.

_Why am I defending him like this?!_

"He's not different, Jo. That freak is no different to those perverse men out there. All he wants is to have sex with you, can't you see that?" Kitty laughed. "You're the only idiot who took pity on him, that's why he's so obsessed with you!"

"Well if that's the case then maybe he and I are alike. We're both outcasts and he's the first guy I've met since Charlie died who has treated me like a human being." Jo furrowed her brow, hearing someone down the corridor. "Why does it bother you so much anyway?"

"Because I love you." Kitty replied with a look of complete seriousness.

"That's not a good excuse for your dictating in my life choices."

"No, I mean I _love_ you. I've loved you for months now." The blonde placed her hands on Jo's shoulders. "Jo, I know that you could never feel the same as me but please get rid of Oswald…for me. I'd rather see you in the arms of a stable, respectable guy than someone like him."

"Kitty stop making me feel like the world's biggest bitch for liking someone who doesn't meet up to your standards. I'm sorry that you had to fall for me but that gives you no right to meddle in my affairs." Jo opened the door, "if you breathe a word of this to anyone then I'll never speak to you again. I'll never be able to forgive you if this gets out."

"Jo, please just try and listen to me…"

"No, Kitty. This is my life. Mine. And if I want to travel down a dangerous road, then that is what I shall do."

Then Jo walked out of the dressing room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Oswald asked as soon as Jo entered the apartment.

"Work, like I told you." She sighed and sat down on the sofa, her whole body desperate to shut down for a few hours.

The truth was, between her offer from Harvey, argument with Kitty and the hour she'd spent with the sexually frustrated tycoon, Jo had no energy left for anything. She was exhausted. Heck, she was surprised that she'd managed the work home without collapsing in the gutter.

Oswald shuffled to sit beside her, keeping his hands in his lap so to reassure Jo that there wouldn't be a repeat of the previous night. "I hope you didn't work too hard, my dear…"

"No, of course not. I just sang, then talked with some customers."

Carefully observing her, Oswald noticed a slight bruising under her chin and frowned. Jo was clearly feeding him misleading information. He grabbed the front of her dress and pulled Jo close to him, further examining the apparent hickey. "Who did that?"

"…Did what?"

With his index finger, Oswald poked the bruise; causing Jo to realise what he was referring to. "You lied to me, Josephina."

"I never promised anything. Some rich tycoon saw me at Mooney's and demanded an appointment." She tittered nervously, "I…I could hardly refuse, now could I?"

"But to let him deface you in this way…you are _my_ lover..!"

"Oswald, it was just sex!"

"Was that all that it was between you and I the other night? 'Just sex', hm?"

Jo didn't answer him. She felt herself grow flustered; a tint of pink gracing her cheeks as Oswald grabbed her chin and forced her to make direct eye contact with him.

"Please don't test me, Josephina. I truly don't want to hurt you."

She still didn't say a word.

Her mind was elsewhere. Thinking of the detective who had visited Mooney's just to see her, just to ask her out to dinner. She'd turned down such an offer to be with Oswald – surely that made her insane.

Maybe so, but Oswald and Jo could be insane together without hurting anyone else. Well, at least Jo wouldn't.

Oswald chuckled darkly and Jo caught a glimpse of his sharp, discoloured teeth – the same ones that had ravaged her skin just a few nights before. She felt sick looking at him; Oswald both terrified her and turned her on. No, in fact she felt sick with herself for feeling such lust for a man who was clearly going to evolve into a cruel and violent psychopath. So why couldn't she say no?

"Well, what if I want you to?" Jo whispered with the hint of a smile as she found the courage to speak up once more. However, those weren't the words that she'd envisioned saying – nor was that the message she'd originally planned to send to him. Instead, she'd basically given the man before her permission to touch and taste every inch of her body. No, Jo was practically ordering Oswald to be rough with her.

And of course, being hungry for power, he didn't waste a single moment of the opportunity.

* * *

**A/N**

**Okay, so first of all I'm probably going to post a mature rated scene between Jo and Oswald as a separate fic sometime soon - I just don't want to risk upsetting any readers who don't appreciate any mature content so a 'dirty' chapter will come up but it'll just be posted separately. **

**At Mooney's, Jo sings the song 'Why Don't You Do Right' which features in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (because Jessica Rabbit is so iconic) even though it was a song before the film...sung by Peggy Lee I think? Anyway, the song is amazing but obviously I couldn't type the whole thing. **

**Harvey and Jo is kind of a thing because of few of you guys do like the pairing so I'm probably going to experiment with the idea - although Oswald won't be too happy I'm sure!**

**Finally, thanks to everyone for the support so far! Oh, and if you have any ideas or requests or just general questions about the fic or anything else (seriously, anything!) I'm more than happy to give them a bash or answer them or whatever.**

**Thanks again, see you next chapter! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**

**Wow I can't believe I've written 15 chapters already. Although I have to admit that having a lot of support from you guys has definitely acted as an incentive to write more regularly, so thank you!**

**I think I'd like to think of this chapter as the calm before the storm so...next chapter will see a few lies unravel to say the least.**

**Anyway, without further ado...**

* * *

Oswald awoke to the light streaming into the room through the thin curtains. He felt the soft duvet over him and instantly realised where he was – his mind recalling various details from the night before. The memory made him smirk; it had been a very satisfying night to say the least.

After all, Jo had given him a taste of true power.

Rolling onto his side, Oswald realised that Jo had woken up long before. It was truly a shame; he'd hoped to see her soft face in deep slumber beside him – perhaps to even request more of her love before work.

However, the memory of her begging beneath him would have to do for the time being. There would be more opportunities after all; Jo was finally warming up to the idea of having a true companion. A lover.

* * *

While Oswald had so easily fallen asleep after the main event, Jo had been unable to do so. She'd restlessly stared at the ceiling until the early hours; desperately trying to think of any legitimate reason to stay with Oswald. He was nice, sure enough, but he was so easily irritated that he was dangerous. And of course he had feelings for Jo but they could've been easily overshadowed by the fact that he was so jealous and obsessive over her. Then their night of passion had shined a light on one very key part of Oswald's persona: he loved power. No, he craved it.

When all had been said and done, would he abandon Jo for a bigger piece of the pie? Would he willingly drop her for his place on the throne he so desperately wanted? Was she nothing more than Oswald Cobblepot's toy? A pawn in the longest and most strategic chess match ever played.

Jo climbed out of bed to change clothes and made herself a strong alcoholic drink from the remnants in her cupboard. Then she sat at the kitchen table and simply cried.

She wanted a way out of Gotham more than anyone could have ever imagine. She _needed_ to get out.

Perhaps that was why clinging to Oswald was so appealing; he'd promised to care for the dancer like the fragile porcelain doll she was. It was undoubtable that Josephina Carnell was beyond damaged, that she could hardly take anymore blows to her system before she truly broke down.

Charlie had been the first of many to promise Jo a safe life away from Gotham. Jo should've known that their relationship wouldn't survive under the conditions which had forced it to flourish; their paths had crossed following his arrest of her after all. He'd brought Jo in to the GCPD on charges of robbery then sent her away with his number instead of a court order. While he wasn't the most responsible of detectives, he had been the most determined to make a change in Gotham – hence why Jo had felt so drawn to him. Although Detective Charlie Faraway's desire to be a hero in a city full of villains had been the reason for his downfall. And when Falcone's hit man came calling, Jo found herself helpless and alone once more.

Until she found new guidance at Mooney's nightclub.

* * *

Once dressed, Oswald left Jo's bedroom to find her slumped over the kitchen table with an empty glass by her arm. "Josephina..?" He whispered, nudging her slightly. "You silly girl…" He chuckled before bending down to kiss her forehead. "I love you though. I'm very fond of you indeed, my dear Josephina."

Slipping back into the bedroom, Oswald began rummaging through the armoire for the item which Jo had forbade him from ever seeing. A box of some sort which Charlie had told his fiancée to keep safe before running off to his death. He recalled how frightened Jo had seemed when she believed that it had been taken so was highly curious to discover what secrets had been hidden in the back of the drawers. It wasn't exactly the best hiding place but since the apartment was lacking in trap doors and secret rooms, stuffing it down the back of the armoire seemed like the only option.

Oswald shoved his arm under the drawer, reaching far as his hand fumbled around for the box. Nothing. He tried again but still couldn't find the mysterious information anywhere. Jo must have been worried about Oswald's snooping and hidden it somewhere else. Well, he couldn't blame her.

He then heard knocking on Jo's front door, accompanied by a voice he really didn't care to listen to.

"Hey, Jo…it's me. Listen, I'm sorry about last night. Can we talk?"

Oswald looked into the front room and saw Jo shifting on the chair as Kitty knocked once more; coming around from her alcohol-induced nap.

"Okay, maybe I crossed a line with that stupid confession but I don't like the thought of you being with that creep." Kitty sighed and rubbed her temples, resting her head on the apartment door. "I know you're there, Jo. I just wanted to tell you that your secret is safe with me; I won't tell Fish or anyone else about that…that…penguin."

Knowing that Jo trusted Kitty enough to tell her their secret was one thing, but to hear her call him a penguin was another. Oswald could hardly contain his angered frown as he resisted the urge to answer the door himself and greet Kitty with a look that could kill. Maybe even…

Jo's eyes snapped open and she struggled to find her feet as she moved towards the door. She wanted nothing more than to swing it open and apologise herself but it wasn't that easy.

"If you want to talk, you know where to find me…" Kitty said before heading back upstairs to her own apartment; evidently growing tired of her one-sided conversation with Jo's door.

Feeling a tightening in her chest, Jo called out to Oswald; fearing that he'd heard everything and was now fit to burst. However he didn't respond – leading Jo to believe that he'd slept through the entirety of Kitty's attempt at an apology.

However he had heard every word. Kitty knew about their relationship and was clearly against it; they'd apparently argued about it during Jo's shift the night before…but there she still was. Jo hadn't left him despite her best friend's advice, even though she strongly objected them. Surely that had to count for something. But why hadn't such a beautiful young woman abandoned him yet? Perhaps she did love him, as he'd been hoping for many months now, Jo had slipped through the cracks and seen something which made her willing to stay. Was it his vulnerability? Was she blind to his darkness and did she see him as only a good man? Or was it the opposite? Did she want to be dominated just as much as Oswald longed to be in charge?

Still, he couldn't help but feel that Kitty's presence would be somewhat problematic; especially now that she knew of their status as lovers and that Oswald Cobblepot had never actually been killed.

Despite her threat, Oswald knew that ridding himself of the opposition that was Frankie Carbone would have to come first.

"Oh, you're awake…" Oswald turned to see Jo standing in the bedroom doorway with an anxious look on her face. "I'm going into town. For the basics, you know…groceries and shampoo and such." She tittered slightly, attempting to behave interact with him as a typical girlfriend may do. "My point is, is there anything you'd like me to buy?"

Oswald thought for a moment: did he want anything that could be bought?

"Or is there anything you'd like me to cook for dinner?"

Her boyfriend shook his head. "Let me take you out to dinner instead. We can go to Bamonte's…"

Jo frowned, "you aren't really going to take me on a date to our place of work, are you?"

"Oh, oh of course not." Oswald laughed, brushing off his slip-up. He thought of all the places he'd like to take his girlfriend, but every single location had many faults. He couldn't take Jo to the movies because of their very different tastes in films. Nor could he take Jo out dancing because of his two left feet (and lack of ability to walk unaided, let alone bust a move.)

Then there was the issue with his supposed murder. If Oswald was seen strolling through the streets of Gotham with Jo on his arm, the pair of them would certainly be in significant trouble with several key players.

"I'll think of something, Josephina." Oswald said with a smile. "You and I will have a grand time this evening."

Nodding, Jo picked up her purse and headed out of the apartment; although not before giving Oswald a kiss goodbye. And for the first time, this act of affection hadn't felt forced. It was as if Jo had finally accepted his love and was more than happy to return it. Oswald was now a part of her life and she had chosen to embrace it rather than fight him any longer.

Hence why it only seemed fitting that Oswald try to learn more about his companion. And there was only one person he could think of that could shine a light on the past years of Josephina's life. Her mother.

* * *

Oswald knocked at the café door, despite the closed sign facing him. He was determined to speak with Jo's mother before she opened up her place of business to the public – for many reasons. He couldn't be seen by anyone, even if it was highly unlikely that anyone of any influence would drink coffee in Nora Carnell's modest café. Anyway if the place was empty, Nora would have more time to talk about her daughter.

Eventually, Nora's silhouette appeared in the doorway and she peered under the blinds to see her daughter's boyfriend standing outside with a smile on his face. "Oh! Paolo!" She exclaimed, fumbling with the lock before finally opening the door. "Come in, come in..! How are you?"

"I'm very well thank you, Mrs Carnell." Oswald replied as Nora led him through the dark café up to her apartment just above her business. Like Jo's, Nora's apartment was small and modest; although there was more of a homely feeling about the interior. Whereas Jo's home hardly seemed lived in.

"Can I get you something to eat or drink, Paolo?" Nora asked as Oswald made himself at home. "A sandwich perhaps?"

Oswald nodded eagerly and Nora disappeared into the kitchen. He heard the rattling of dishes and cutlery as the café owner began preparing something for him to eat. A series of framed photographs along the mantelpiece caught Oswald's eye and he stood up to get a closer look.

The collection showed Jo's transition from a gap-toothed schoolgirl to the woman he was currently dating. It was only now that Oswald had noticed some of his girlfriend's more hidden features; her hair was naturally dark, as was her natural skin colour more of a mocha tone than the paler, freckle-less image it was in the present day.

"Ah, Josephina does look very different now." Nora chuckled as she set Oswald's sandwiches down on the table. "She always hated that photo." She pointed to one of Jo's first school pictures; in which her hair was tightly pulled into two bunches and her freckles prominent on her rosy yet tanned face. "Her grandfather was Spanish…" Nora explained, "I always thought being slightly different to the other children through heritage made her special but Josephina hated it. She's always wanted to fit in and be this perfect carbon copy of every model and actress out there. I'm sure you tell her that she's beautiful all the time but…her self-esteem has never recovered from her high school years. That's why she's always wearing makeup and those ridiculously high shoes, I suppose."

Oswald thought for a moment; perhaps Jo's career choices had stemmed from this lack of self-respect. Maybe entertaining clients was his girlfriend's way of feeling desirable; although she was far from plain in Oswald's eyes.

"…How exactly did you meet my daughter, Paolo?" Nora asked suddenly, growing curious.

"Oh, through work." Oswald chuckled and clasped his hands together.

"You work at the call centre as well?"

That confirmed it: Nora Carnell was completely unaware of her daughter's true career. Even though that was probably for the best.

Deciding to increase the respect that Jo's mother had for him, Oswald decided to add some truth to his story. "No, no I'm a restaurant manager. I was forced to get in touch with the centre and after hearing Josephina's voice as she helped resolve my issue, I knew that I had to see her in person."

Well, it wasn't a complete lie.

"I just wish Josephina had told me about you earlier, Paolo. She's always been so secretive with me, so distant…especially since her father died."

"…Oh, I'm sorry for your loss…was Josephina close to him?" Oswald was able to force enough sincerity to warrant belief from Nora, who nodded.

"They had common interests and I suppose that Donald was the better parent." Nora smiled tearfully, "he was such a good man, Paolo. He didn't deserve to be taken from us so cruelly…a-and for Josephina to witness it all…" She stopped; overcome by emotion even though she hid it well.

Oswald frowned; Jo had never mentioned her father or any murder. He'd have to ask her about it sometime when he found Jo in a receptive mood.

"When I came home, Josephina had to tell me what had happened…that some men had broken in and attacked Donald…she was so distraught. Neither of us got to see the body, but I suppose it was for the best." Nora straightened up and her smile returned. "Anyway, I'm sure you didn't come here to hear me blubbering like a baby…what can I do for you, Paolo?"

"I'd like to prepare a date for Josephina so I'm here to learn more about her."

Nora smiled eagerly, "you're such a sweet man. I'll get my photo album."

* * *

During the time that Oswald spent gaining Nora Carnell's respect and trust, Jo had roamed the city in search of any bargains she could find. In particular, Jo was hoping to find some new clothes at a discount since she now had someone to dress nice for – a reason to ensure that she looked as attractive as possible.

Once she'd finished, Jo knew that it was nearing lunchtime and decided to treat herself to a salad before whatever date her new boyfriend had planned. Checking the street sign, Jo realised where she was and that she probably did owe a certain detective an apology. With the hope that he'd stopped in the neighbourhood for lunch, Jo made her way to the burger stand he'd previously mentioned and was more than happy to find him there with Detective Gordon.

When he noticed the dancer on the other side of the street, it never occurred to Harvey that she'd travelled to that part of town for him. In his mind it couldn't have been more than a coincidence – especially after their conversation the night before. However when Jo crossed the street and walked over to him, the detective realised that it was more than a coincidental run-in.

"Hey, I was hoping I'd find you here…" Jo looked from Harvey to Jim, deciding to try her hand at a joke. "Working hard or hardly working?"

Neither of them laughed.

The dancer grimaced; praying for any interruption to the awkward situation. Then there was also the horrendous stench of grease mixed with the typical Gotham pollution in the air which further added to the sick feeling in her stomach.

"What can we do for you, Ms. Carnell?" Harvey asked, not leaving the burger line. The detective himself wasn't sure who he was trying to fool by this level of professionalism towards the woman he'd asked out the night before. Even Jim could sense the tension between them.

"Oh," Jo needed to think of an excuse fast seeing as Harvey was choosing to forget about their disagreement. "Well, I just…wanted to say thank you. For not involving me in the Viper case, I mean. If there's one thing people in this city appreciate in such matters, it's anonymity." She turned to Harvey, "civilians and cops don't gel well in this community after all."

"Well maybe us cops are misunderstood…" Harvey replied as he met her gaze.

Jo shook her head, "no, I don't think so." She hastily turned to leave; feeling both angry and humiliated by the situation. "Enjoy your burgers, detectives…"

As soon as the dancer was out of earshot, Detective Gordon wasted no time in quizzing his partner on the subject of Jo Carnell's particularly frosty behaviour. "You were singing her praise the other day, what happened Harvey?"

"Nothin' happened." Harvey answered quickly in an attempt to brush off the encounter as insignificant. "Anyway, I thought you'd be glad to hear it. You're not her biggest fan."

"Maybe not, but you are." Jim laughed when Harvey gave him a look. "Harvey, you get that stupid grin on your face every time you see her."

"What're you saying, partner?"

"It's none of my business but I think you want to ask her out."

Harvey chuckled wryly, "you make it sound so damn easy."

Jim's eyes widened and he felt his face drop. "You already did." Truth be told, the very thought of his partner dating one of Mooney's dancers and the 'friend' of Oswald Cobblepot terrified him. Josephina Carnell was bad news in his book.

"Don't worry, she said no." Harvey shrugged, "she doesn't have the time, apparently."

Despite his desperation to tell Harvey that Jo had said no because of Oswald Cobblepot – who he hadn't actually killed that day at the docks – he held his tongue. It was best for all of their sakes, and their lives to be honest. If the truth got out, Jim, Harvey and Jo would find themselves in deep trouble with Falcone and Fish Mooney; although that would be after Oswald was given a bullet to the head.

Detective Gordon was realising how accurate Jo's words of advice had been; how useful her code would be in ensuring his own survival in a city of corruption, drugs, death and villains. Sometimes it was best to 'speak no evil.'

Perhaps blind eyes had the best perception after all.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N**

**Hi! This update is later than I originally planned; partially because of disappointing A-level results and the fact that I was able to bruise my eyeball with an eyeliner pencil the other day which both hindered my creativity and productivity.**

**On a lighter note, I'm loving all this positive feedback and show of love from you guys! Every follow/favourite/review had literally helped me to feel more inspired to push on with my writing, so thank you!**

**This chapter links in with some of episode 6 so there will be quite a bit of tension from this point onwards.**

**Oh and have you all seen the new Gotham Pop! Vinyls?! They all look brilliant but I think they're being released just after my birthday so I won't be able to get one until Christmas - Oswald, Fish and Harvey look especially great in my opinion.**

**Anyhoo, I'll end my notes here - please enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

When Jo reached her apartment, she was concerned to find that a police car had parked outside the building – and that Detectives Montoya and Allen were sat inside it – clearly waiting for someone.

Did they know that Oswald was alive?

Trying to act calm, Jo quickly walked past them and fumbled with the door; however she was stopped by the sound of a car door closing and turned around to see the detectives approaching her.

Jo tried her hardest to hide the grimace on her face as they asked her to go with them to the station to talk about Oswald Cobblepot; remaining silent throughout the journey there.

Upon their arrival, she was taken to an interrogation room so that the process could be carried out and Montoya tried her best to ease the clearly nervous performer into the questioning.

"The last time you were here we asked if you knew Oswald Cobblepot well." Montoya began, reading through the notes from their last session. "You both worked at Mooney's nightclub, correct?"

"Yes, that's right. But our shifts were so different that I hardly saw him." Jo glanced at the clock; sensing that there had been a breakthrough in her boyfriend's murder case.

"Did you see him on the day he disappeared?" Detective Allen asked, carefully watching Jo's behaviour.

"No, I didn't." Jo answered quickly. "Like I said, I'd rarely see him at work so we were never more than colleagues."

"Is it true that Detective Gordon has made several visits to Mooney's nightclub over the last few weeks?"

Taking a deep breath, Jo knew that she had to at least incorporate some truth into her statement. "I saw him there once, maybe twice." She thought for a moment; throwing Jim Gordon under the bus would probably have drawn any suspicion away from her but, even still, he had proven to be one of the 'good cops' – whatever that meant. "But I really wouldn't think anything of it. Detective Gordon was most likely just doing his job."

Montoya and Allen exchanged a knowing look before nodding and rising to their feet. "Thank you, Miss Carnell. You've been very helpful."

Jo was taken aback by the abrupt end to her interrogation but decided that it'd be best to avoid any confrontation so also stood up to leave.

On her way out, Jo noticed how intensely Detective Gordon was watching her; it was almost as if he relied on the performer to tell the truth in order to save his skin. Then Jo realised why she had been rushed in and out of another interrogation process involving Oswald Cobblepot's supposed murder.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot."

Feeling sick to her stomach, Jo turned around to see Allen and Montoya restraining Detective Gordon while Harvey and Captain Essen looked on. While she knew it was stupid to try to help the detective – call it a death sentence – Jo couldn't stop herself from running over to prevent the arrest of a relatively good cop.

"I lied. I didn't shoot Oswald Cobblepot. I didn't shoot him, Bullock..!"

Unaware of the truth to Jim's words, Harvey nodded reassuringly. "Of course you didn't partner."

"No, I mean it." Jim turned to Jo desperately; almost begging her to come clean with just his eyes.

"Harvey Bullock you're under arrest for being an accomplice to the murder of Oswald Cobblepot." Detective Allen moved to apprehend the other detective while Jo continued to contemplate her own sanity. Was it really worth telling the truth if it meant putting a gun to all three of their heads?

Well, Jo was the only one who knew the truth. Not even Harvey could save his partner at this point. Besides, she rather liked Jim Gordon. And as for Harvey, despite the fact that his opinion of her would soon change if he learned of Jo's involvement with Oswald, she knew that he deserved to know. Perhaps it would secure their trust in her as an alliance. It didn't hurt to have friends in the force, after all. Especially if she was about to throw herself under the bus.

"Detective Gordon is telling the truth…" Jo sighed and stepped forward. "He's innocent and so is Detective Bullock. I'm sorry but—"

Suddenly, the main doors swung open and all heads turned to meet the figure standing there; forgetting completely about what Jo was about to say. When she followed their eyes towards the front of the room, Jo felt sick at what she saw – or rather, who.

"Holy crap…"

Straightening up, Oswald smiled. "Hello..!" As the entire precinct fell silent, he chuckled gleefully. "I am Oswald Cobblepot."

Harvey looked from his partner to Jo, who was nervously biting her lip – clearly she wouldn't have minded if the ground were to open up and swallow her right there. Feeling angry and lied to, he looked back at Jim. "You son of a bitch…"

"Harvey—"

Despite being restrained, the detective attempted to take a swing at Gordon. "You son of a bitch!"

In that moment, Oswald's eyes focused solely on the centre of the room where the detectives stood; he soon noticed Jo standing next to Detective Bullock with a look of dread on her face. He met her stare and Jo felt her whole world falling apart around her.

This was actually happening: Oswald's secret was out. She was going to be killed because of it.

Unless she pretended not to be close to him. Just that she was a witness to the false murder. Maybe then she'd have a chance at survival.

"I'm dead…" Jo muttered, almost staring straight through Oswald. "We're dead."

* * *

While Jo would've preferred to have been able to explain her knowledge of the situation to Harvey, she decided that it'd be best to leave quickly and quietly – making sure that Oswald followed shortly after. Hurrying down the stairs, she glared at her partner and indicated towards the door. "Come home in fifteen minutes." She muttered with a strong hint of annoyance. "Nobody can know where you're staying, understand?"

Oswald nodded obediently and watched as his girlfriend wasted no time in fleeing the scene before she was bombarded with questions that would lead to her own disappearance. He knew that Jo would be mad when he walked through the door; no doubt she'd raise her voice out of agitation and fear but Oswald wouldn't mind. In fact, he'd secretly revel in Jo's darker side – as well as her upmost fear of being found out. At least this way, Oswald would be able to make good on his promise: he'd protect her.

Still, she'd referred to it as 'home.' Not her apartment, it was theirs now, so surely Jo could only hold so much anger in her tiny form before she gave it up and crumpled in his arms like the delicate, yet fierce, paper doll she was.

And so, after slipping away from the GCPD, Oswald made his way to his favourite bakery to purchase a treat to sweeten his girlfriend before she could grow too angry. After all, Nora Carnell had insisted that cannoli was her daughter's favourite form of dessert. What could go wrong?

As Oswald had expected, Jo was standing restlessly by the door when he finally arrived.

"You're later than I expected." Was all his girlfriend said as she allowed him to enter the apartment – quickly slamming the door behind him. "I almost hoped someone had jumped you. At least then I'd have been free from this gun that has been against my head since you came to me that night." Jo frowned and pointed to the air. Clearly said gun was metaphorical only. "Just having you here now is like strapping a bomb to my chest. It could go off any minute and when it does I'm dead, along with everyone close to me."

"I…I sincerely apologise. What I did was rather reckless but…I figured that way we could live what most would consider a normal life."

Jo laughed cynically. "You call this normal? You've just made things so much more difficult for me. Now instead of looking over our shoulders for Fish's men, we'll be looking over our shoulders at straight down the barrel of a gun!"

"I'm sorry, Josephina. I thought it would be best, so I could take you out to dinner and not lie about my name."

"Don't even think about playing that card, Oswald. You didn't do this for me, you did it to cause trouble. You love attention and now you've got more than you bargained for."

Feeling doubtful that a round in the bedroom was going to occur anytime soon, Oswald held out the pink box to Jo with a forced look of deep apology on his pale face. "I brought you cannoli. Your favourite, right?"

Jo looked closely at the pink box in Oswald's hands; recalling what Detective Bullock had told her regarding the gunmens' murders. A pink box containing cannoli – just like this one. Initially, she convinced herself that it was merely coincidental; however it wasn't long before the realisation hit her. If anything, the robbery had benefited Oswald. Because of his supposedly brave actions, he had been promoted to restaurant manager, as well as gaining a seat beside Maroni at his table.

Then there was the fact that he'd splashed out hundreds of dollars on her diamond necklace.

"Oswald, do you remember the robbery at Bamonte's?" Jo's voice was calm as she decided to test Oswald's integrity before jumping to conclusions. Perhaps he could prove that he either didn't do it, or did but was truly remorseful. "Do you remember how the manager was killed right in front of me?"

"Oh, yes. It was truly tragic."

Jo chuckled, knowing that Oswald was guilty – but was planning to lie his way out. "Isn't it funny how you got promoted to restaurant manager as soon as those guys had left?"

Oswald knew that something wasn't right: Jo's typically warm behaviour had turned dark. It was exciting, yet he feared for their relationship. She was clearly onto him, and her judgement was certainly correct. Oswald simply stood in the middle of the room, still holding the box protectively. He didn't want to answer his lover for fear of losing her.

"Do you know what I heard? That the men that robbed Bamonte's were killed not long after. Poisoned by a pink box of cannoli." Jo needed to test Oswald's reaction. While the two events were not necessarily linked, the chances were too high to ignore. Besides, it was worth a guess since her boyfriend was clearly easy to break under pressure. "Just like that box in your hand. Isn't that funny?"

"That's…astonishing, Josephina my dear." Oswald held his breath and thought hard; needing a scapegoat to avoid Jo's further suspicion. "It must have been Frankie Carbone. He does love trouble, doesn't he?"

Shaking her head, Jo got closer to Oswald, a knowing smirk on her face. It was as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing – the lies that Oswald was attempting to feed her were too amusing because they were just that. Lies.

"You're pathetic…that's the best you can do?" Jo threw the box at him. "It was you. You staged that damn robbery!"

Holding out his hands for protection, Oswald tried to steady his girlfriend; not having her on his side would have proven equally dangerous for both of them – as well as unbeneficial from other perspectives. "I…I merely—"

"You merely what, Oswald? Paid some men to kill the manager, to almost kill me, and take Maroni's money?" She laughed, "the best part is that you went back to kill them afterwards."

"You were never supposed to be there, Josephina. I'd have never put you in harm's way deliberately." Oswald straightened up and placed the box on the table, out of harm's way. "That's why I killed them. Because of what they did to you. They…they said some terrible things when I went to collect the money, about you. They were—"

"Don't play me for a fool. You offed them for the money, Oswald. Not for me."

"But I used that money to buy you nice things…the necklace, a-and…"

"Get out."

"Pardon?"

"I said, get out." Jo frowned and pointed to the door. "Now that everyone knows you're alive, you don't need me to hide you here."

"I do, I need you. I love you..! Where will I go?"

Jo shrugged and disappeared into the bedroom; returning with a small suitcase. Clearly, throwing him out had been the plan from the start of their conversation. "I want to live. The only way I can keep my head is if you go and never come back around here."

"Please Josephina, don't do anything rash…we love each other…we can be happy!" Oswald moved to kiss Jo but she pushed him away with a significant amount of force.

"No, Oswald you're insane..! Y-You knew exactly what to say! You made me think I was safe with you and I opened up to you but it was because you have this…this fixation with me! You want to protect me from the evil in this damned city but you're just as bad as Mooney and Maroni and Falcone. If you've kept this from me, what else are you hiding?" She sighed and opened the door. "Kitty was right about you, everyone was right about you – you're nothing but a penguin. A sad, desperate little penguin."

"Don't call me that. You know I don't like it..!" Oswald raised his own voice, still standing in the doorway, desperately trying to worm his way back in – not only into the apartment, but back into Jo's affection.

"You don't? Well how about Oswald _Hobblepot_..!" Jo gave Oswald one last push out of the door and quickly slammed it shut before her ex was able to break it down – or worse, talk his way back inside – and into her bed.

Then she headed into her bedroom and began getting ready for her shift at Mooney's as if nothing had happened. The only way for Jo to keep her job and her life was to be the first to tell Fish of Oswald's surprise reappearance – and that she'd not seen him until his dramatic entrance down at the precinct. It was believable; Jo just had to tell Fish that she'd been brought in for questioning and it was completely coincidental that she saw the umbrella guy there.

Jo could still hear Oswald's begging from the hallway. It truly was pathetic how, like a parasite, he refused to let go and move on. Instead of giving him the satisfaction of knowing she still cared, Jo turned her busted-up radio on full volume and continued to fix her makeup. There was no doubt that Oswald would wait outside for a commendable amount of time, Jo decided to escape via the stairwell – taking the cannoli box with her. It had to go, despite how much she wanted them.

* * *

Walking down the streets, Jo searched for the perfect place to dump the 'forbidden fruits' and soon saw a girl skulking in one of the alleyways. She was apparently homeless and alone, save for the few cats that lingered close. Jo had always known that Gotham was full of displaced orphans – she had seen many in the past, dotted around the streets – but they had usually been in groups. Never alone like this girl.

"Hey, those are some cool goggles." Jo smiled, hanging around the street just outside the alley. It wasn't exactly the best conversation starter in history but Jo admittedly had no idea how to approach this teenage girl, since she was used to spending time around people older than her, rather than younger.

The girl observed Jo carefully; it was evident that she had trust issues but, in a city like Gotham, who could blame her - especially since she was orphaned and homeless. "Thanks…you are…?"

"I'm Jo." She glanced quickly at the cats then back to the girl. "You really like cats don't you?"

"Yeah, I do." The teenage girl paused. "Call me Cat."

"Cat, alright." Jo paused; it was definitely a fake name but she understood why a young street urchin would be reluctant to tell a complete stranger any personal details. "Do you like cannoli?"

"I dunno." Cat noticed the box in Jo's hands – was she offering her some food? "I don't want any charity."

"Don't be silly, this is quality stuff. Here," Jo placed the box on the ground next to the girl. "I haven't touched them, they're fresh." She laughed as Cat cautiously opened the pink box. "They taste amazing, I promise you'll like them."

"Thanks." For the first time, she stared directly at Jo with a hint of a smile.

"You're welcome." Jo smiled and turned to leave. "Take care."

Cat watched as Jo continued walking down the street; she'd been kind but it was obvious that she was also troubled. After countless days and nights on the cold streets of Gotham, Cat had learned how to read the emotions of those that passed her by – distress being a common sentiment of late. Still, she wasn't going to argue if this upset meant that complete strangers would give her offerings of food. And after the first bite, Cat really hoped that she'd see Jo again; especially if she was carrying another pink box of cannoli.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N**

**It's been so long since the last update, I hope you're all well!**

**This chapter does lead directly from the last one but I will say that the final part is quite delicate; although not really graphic since this fic is still rated T, but I just thought it'd be best to give you guys the heads-up. **

**I'm also trying to give Jo connections to a lot of the major characters since it'll make for interesting interactions in later chapters, as well as helping me to connect Jo to the show as a lot of these chapters centre around events from it. **

**Hopefully you enjoy this instalment and I'll try and update soon! :)**

***This chapter was altered greatly (March 2016)***

* * *

Mooney's Nightclub was practically deserted when Jo arrived, save for some of her boss' goons and Fish herself. They were sat around Fish's favourite table in deep conversation and barely noticed Jo walk into the room, her heels clicking on the wooden floor.

"Ms. Mooney, what's going on?" She asked from a safe distance. "Are we closed?"

Fish beckoned Jo over with the curling of her index finger. "Something rather…surprising has been brought to my attention."

Butch held out a chair and Jo sat down across from her boss, fearing the worst. She decided to remain silent until she was asked to speak.

"Penguin is alive."

Jo's reaction to that was one of genuine shock, even though she'd already known about that for weeks. It was the fact that Fish had found out within a mere hour that was so shocking. "…He is?"

Fish nodded with deeply angered eyes. "Gordon didn't kill him. I knew we shouldn't have let him go." She paused to look over Jo carefully. "You didn't know about this?"

"No, of course not. I'd have told you immediately, Ms. Mooney."

"Well it seems he was working for Maroni this whole time. Just like you, Jo." Fish leaned closer to Jo. "I hope you haven't been lying to your mother."

Jo shook her head quickly. "Definitely not. You and I are close; that's why you chose me for the job in the first place."

"I know, honey." Fish paused and moved her hand to Jo's cheek, holding it gently. "But I'm afraid that you're too nice. This is a tough business and I feel that you'd be better suited to staying here in the club."

"No..!" Jo stood up quickly before taking a deep breath, understanding that she had to remain calm. For one thing, Fish couldn't suspect that her nerves were high. "Ms. Mooney, you have to understand that I appreciate your opinion but…I can do this. Give me any task and I will make you proud. I promise."

Leaning back in her chair, Fish smiled and nodded. "You're rather persuasive, I might just hold you to that, Jo."

Her eyes widened, "so I can keep working for Maroni?"

"Yes. Although I may require your…charm for another task very soon."

Despite harbouring a terrible feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, Jo smiled gratefully: perhaps there was still time for her to prove herself useful to Fish. As Oswald had once said to their boss, she would've willingly opened up a vein to earn the trust of Fish Mooney – except Jo really would have dug that knife into her skin if it meant gaining power in Gotham.

"For now, how about you accompany Butch in bringing Gordon to me?" Jo nodded and moved to stand beside Butch, who chuckled and handed her a gun. Truthfully, having known Fish's second-in-command since the start of her employment at Mooney's nightclub, Jo had grown relatively fond of him – despite his ability to be so cheerfully brutal when acting on Fish's command. Therefore it was probably a good thing that Jo was going with him to retrieve the detective. At least that way, nobody would get seriously hurt.

However, as Jo was leaving, she caught a glimpse of Fish and Liza sitting close together in deep conversation. They spoke in low whispers but all the while, Fish was smiling proudly at her 'secret weapon'; leaving Jo to wonder if she'd ever accomplish something big enough to warrant that look from Fish – or her own mother.

* * *

Butch grinned and took a seat besides Barbara, who seemed very shaken; although was maintaining her composure well, considering the severity of the situation…at least that's what Jo thought.

They'd been in her and Gordon's apartment for maybe 15 minutes and already Butch was behaving too jovially, as usual – even if he failed to come across as non-threatening due to his large, intimidating form and, of course, the gun in his hand.

"What're you going to do to Jim?" Barbara asked, her voice choked up because of the understandable fear.

Jo didn't know how to answer that one. She hoped that the detective's punishment would be small; maybe a few broken ribs and a black eye would've sufficed. But then again, she knew how dangerous an enemy Fish Mooney was – and Jim Gordon had definitely pissed off the wrong people.

Instead of answering the question, Butch chuckled and shifted closer to Barbara; who was now on the brink of tears. Well, Jo couldn't have blamed her; it had taken several weeks for her to get used to Butch's unconventional cheerfulness and lacking understanding when it came to the concept of personal space.

"Butch, go outside and wait for Gordon or something, would you." Jo's voice bore a hint of annoyance as she ordered her superior out of the room. Barbara was too fragile for any of this chaos; perhaps her nerves would settle slightly around someone with an equally delicate form. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jo set down her gun to show the blonde that she was no threat to her. "I'm sorry about all this. If it were up to me we'd have just given Gordon a call but, well, these mob bosses love to cause a scene, don't they?"

Barbara's eyes didn't leave the floor, her voice nothing but a mumble. "Are they going to kill Jim?"

While it seemed cruel to promise Barbara something which was out of her control, Jo knew that she couldn't stand back and let the good-intentioned detective suffer the same fate as Oswald. That was why she had agreed to help Butch bring him in after all – she wanted Jim to live. Maybe Jo was too nice after all…

"I won't let that happen." Jo insisted, handing Barbara a tissue with a sympathetic smile. "He's a good guy. You're very lucky." She said those words with the upmost sincerity; Jo felt envious that Barbara had the perfect house, the perfect look and the perfect partner who was trying to clear the scum from the city. All Jo had was a run-down apartment and an ex-boyfriend who was incredibly unstable.

"Why are you with these people?"

Jo hadn't ever contemplated that before – what was the real reason behind her involvement in the mob?

Of course it was for protection above all, and the job paid rather well, but what was the real incentive to become a powerful figure in Fish Mooney's army? Perhaps it was the power, or maybe she just liked the idea of becoming a strong female in a man's world, just like her boss.

"You're trespassing, get out."

The two women heard Jim's voice by the door and Butch stepped to the side so that the detective may enter the room in full view. He saw Barbara on the sofa, clearly frightened. Then he saw Jo besides her, her face almost sympathetic. Pointing his gun from Jo to Butch, he clearly wanted to be the one calling all the shots – even if the two intruders posed very minor threats – especially the female.

However, both Jo and Butch held their weapons firmly; even though Jo knew that she hadn't the heart to fire it.

"You've been told to bring me in alive, or I'd be dead already…"

Butch stepped forward. "C'mon you know the rules. You play nice, you take your lumps…and nobody else gets hurt."

"Ms. Mooney just wants to talk to you." Jo insisted in an attempt to ease the situation – while subtly letting the detective know that she wasn't a threat whatsoever. In fact, Jo was the mediator in the situation. "That's all…" She tried to indicate that there would be serious consequences if he refused, but Detective Gordon did just that. He didn't even move.

"Fine, have it your way." Butch grinned almost menacingly while Jo looked on with caution. "But now, after we kill you, we're gonna kill blondie too."

With that, Detective Gordon swung his weapon-bearing arm up and knocked Butch out cold. Then he turned to Jo and for a second she feared that she was next. However, Jim lowered his gun and ordered Barbara to pack a bag quickly.

"Why did you come here?" Gordon muttered to the performer as soon as Barbara had left the room.

"I didn't want to let any harm come to your or your girlfriend." Jo whispered, glancing over to where Butch lay unconscious on the floorboards. "I'm not an awful person after all."

"What're you going to do now? You didn't do a great job bringing me in…"

Jo thought for a moment. "You'll have to shoot me." She saw Jim's eyes widen in shock and sighed: it wasn't the best of jokes but she hoped that he'd have at least realised that she wasn't serious. "Or hit me hard enough that I pass out."

"You know I can't do that."

"If you don't, I'll be punished for not doing my job." Jo explained, setting her gun down once again. "Come on, you owe me. Just swing your gun in my face. Hard enough to knock me out so your girlfriend can get away."

Detective Gordon still looked highly reluctant. He'd never dreamt of hitting a woman but Jo was more than willing to take a blow to the face if it meant keeping her life.

"Oh come on, it won't hurt much. Just take one hard strike at me." She sighed and stepped up to him, holding her head up high. "If it makes you happy, I'll owe you a favour?"

"Fine. Any place in particular?" Jim frowned and drew his arm back.

Jo smirked, satisfied with the detective's willingness. "The right side."

* * *

After she and Butch received some verbal abuse for their failure to bring Jim Gordon in, Jo headed home to rest; her head was pounding and her face swollen slightly from the encounter, but at least she was still alive.

However, as she reached her apartment, Jo felt unnerved to find that her door was already open slightly. "Hello?" She whispered, flicking the light switch. "Is anyone there?"

Before she could move further into the room, Jo felt a pair of arms grab her from behind; slamming the door in the process. Despite the darkness, she knew full well who was holding onto her.

"Oswald, what the hell are you doing?!" Jo shouted as her ex continued to restrict the movement of her arms. "I told you to leave."

"Oh, but we made a deal, Josephina." Oswald cooed in her ear, kissing the side of her face. "But how can I possibly protect you if I'm not allowed to come near you?"

"I don't need you to protect me."

Oswald spun Jo around to face him, his hands grabbing her wrists tightly. With a smirk, he stroked the now-bruised side of her face. "It seems that you do." His voice grew dark. "Who did that to you?"

Jo brushed his hand away. "Nobody, it's nothing. Now will you please leave?"

"I can't do that, Josephina. You and I have a special connection…we belong together." Oswald smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind Jo's ear, as if it were the most romantic gesture in the world. "You love poetry and Shakespeare and the colour purple and—"

"Oswald…"

"Your grandfather was Spanish and your natural hair colour is a dark brown. You wanted to be a doctor when you were a young girl. You wanted to help people because you've always been so kind of heart. Your father's name was Donald Carnell. He worked for Wayne Enterprises until he was murdered." Oswald's voice became desperate and he saw Jo's eyes widen in shock of his deep knowledge of her. "See? I know everything about you…"

"You've been talking to my mother?" Jo asked, the very mention of her deceased father's name was enough to make her cry. But she managed to hold it together. "You had no right to go there..!"

"Nora is a very nice lady. I just wanted to talk to her…about you." A thought occurred to Oswald and he chuckled at the memory. "It seems she believes that you work at a call centre."

"You really think I'd tell my mom what I do for a living?" Jo shook her head. "I bet you didn't tell her who you really are either, _Paolo_. Oh sorry, it's Penguin, isn't it?" She just couldn't resist one last dig at him – riling Oswald up was both easy and amusing.

However, she may have taken it too far.

Oswald frowned and slammed Jo against the door. "I warned you, don't call me that!"

"What're you going to do? It's not my fault you fucking walk like one." Jo felt Oswald's hand at her throat and tensed up. She knew that she was crossing a serious line, playing a very dangerous game, but she had never been good at keeping her mouth shut. "Now hobble out of my apartment before I call the police."

"My dear, you've hurt me. I…I don't think I can just let it go." Oswald trailed his hand up by the hem of Jo's skirt. "Don't you want me to stay?"

"No." Oswald's hand slipped under her skirt, dangerously close. "I said no!" Jo grabbed his wandering hand, panicking slightly.

Evidently offended, Oswald took a step back and took out his knife. "Did you say no earlier, hm? When one of Fish's clients told you to get down on your knees…"

"You don't scare me…" Jo lied, trying to stop her legs from trembling. "Get out!"

With a cruel grin, Oswald grabbed Jo and pulled her onto the floor before straddling her in order to restrict any movement. Jo had disrespected him beyond belief; it was only natural that she should receive the punishment she deserved.

Her chest was pressed to the wooden floor, giving Oswald easy access to her backside. Well, at least she didn't have to face him this way. Jo closed her eyes tightly as she felt her skirt being lifted and Oswald's cold hand caressing her thigh. "What I'm about to do is for your own good." Oswald insisted, romanticising the truth to the extreme. "It's just like _Porphyria's Lover,_ isn't it? I'm punishing you to protect you from sin, because I love you, Josephina." He leaned forward to run a hand through Jo's hair as she continued to lay face-down on the floor, preparing herself for what was to come. "I'm so glad you didn't cut your hair…"

As Oswald moved towards her backside, Jo felt a tear roll down her cheek. She wasn't going to beg him to reconsider though; he didn't deserve the satisfaction of knowing that he'd won.

No, Jo wasn't going to make a single sound.

However, she was surprised when he stopped; taking out his hand to smack her there again and again. Jo was used to all kinds of humiliation, but never one like this - never from someone she cared about. Oswald didn't stop though. He wanted power over Jo just as much as he wanted influence in Gotham City. She'd always been a difficult woman to please and to know that he now had the upper hand was truly satisfying. He was treating her like a child in his punishment; hitting her on the backside again and again until she was biting down hard on her lip in order to prevent any cries from escaping.

But as soon as Oswald had left, Jo found herself sobbing into the floorboards. It wasn't even because of the ordeal itself; she was hurt because it was Oswald who had done that her. Oswald, a man who she had cared for, despite the risks had tried to hurt her. The verbal abuse had been just as bad as the physical form and Jo had never felt so embarrassed, so scared for her life. Even though, deep down, she had a feeling that Oswald was capable of so much more. That he had the potentiality to have really taken her by force. It really could have been a lot worse.

Jo was glad that he was gone but, at the same time, she hoped Oswald would come back so she could fucking destroy him. Well, in time she would do just that. She knew just about enough to have him thrown in a jail cell - or into the river - and Jo would simply revel in the reality of finally being free from Oswald.

After all, it was well known that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N**

**Hi! I hope all my readers are doing well! This update is late because it was my 18th last Friday and I've hardly been sober since then. No, I lie I'm too lame for that. For my birthday I just drank wine with my mum at the pub then we stumbled home at like 4pm, then it was just Netflix and chill and me and my mama judged the 'sexiest male' section in glamour magazine...I strongly disagree with most of the top 20, let alone the whole thing. Chris Pratt was like 49th, um who votes on this? Okay, I'm rambling now. Google Glamour's top 100 sexiest men and judge for yourself, it's like 75% bull. **

**Oh my god Gotham has started in the US but I don't know when it comes back to the UK and it makes me very sad. Hopefully October or something. For now, we're still in the first half of season one in regards to this fic but I'm going to try and hurry things along slightly. **

**This chapter took me SO long to write because I had so many ideas but only a certain story word limit (2200-2800) but I think this is slightly over but I suppose it's not a bad thing. Before I forget, I hope me changing my username on here hasn't caused any confusion. I changed it to LucieBell because it has more relevance to me and it's more of a penname than my old one.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Oswald didn't get a wink of sleep that night.

All he could do to pass the darkened hours was stare at the ceiling, with the guilt of what he had done eating away at him. His girl had allowed him to do such an unforgivable act in the spur of the moment and while Oswald had enjoyed the feeling of having complete power over someone, he hated that his first encounter with control had to be with poor Josephina. Oswald knew that he owed it to her to make things right; after all, she couldn't stay mad at him forever.

Still, Oswald was breathless. He couldn't believe what he'd just done to a woman who had cared for him during his momentary downfall. Josephina had been difficult but never enough so to deserve such cruel payment for her crime against him.

_No, she deserved it. If I hadn't punished her then, she would have just kept toying with me. _

_But I love her._

_She doesn't love you._

Her face. Oh, how dignified her face was throughout the whole ordeal. Josephina's cheeks had lost their rosy glow but she didn't cry and scream and give into him. She was beautiful beneath him. Even more so because she contained her fear and anger so well.

A part of Oswald knew that, while he had punished her, Jo wouldn't wait around for him to come back. She'd have stormed off somewhere in the dead of night, possibly in danger. Oswald's only reassurance was that she'd most likely show up at Bamonte's for her shift the next morning. There he could apologise and beg for her forgiveness – and Don Maroni would ensure that things didn't turn sour just by simply being in the room.

He knew that Jo would eventually forgive him though; she needed to be by Oswald's side when the war broke out if she wanted to survive. However, their partnership had no chance of surviving with all the extraneous variables standing in their way.

Oswald knew that the only way to ensure that Josephina stay with him was to take these unnecessary elements out of the equation.

* * *

Jo was unable to stay in her apartment that night, but she didn't know where else to go. Her mother's home was an obvious choice and Kitty's even more so; thus Oswald would instantly find her should she take shelter in one of the two places. It was evident that Oswald would come back in search of her the next morning so Jo needed to hide somewhere relatively private and with someone she at least knew of.

That was why she found herself at the station, duffle bag over her shoulder, searching for Jim Gordon. He was the only person that knew as much as she did so perhaps he'd be understanding. She saw a room full of officers and detectives but none of them were Detective Gordon; she hardly recognised any of them actually. Jo stood anxiously in the corner, recalling how she had spent many afternoons at the station, perched on the edge of Charlie's desk while he pretended to work. He was so easily distracted when Jo joined him at work, and he hadn't been the only one.

"Can I help you?" Jo felt a presence beside her and turned her head to see a tall, spectacled man standing too close to her. While she vaguely remembered him from the Viper incident, his name completely escaped her mind. "Jo Carnell, right?" Well, he clearly remembered her.

Jo nodded. "Is Detective Gordon around?"

"No, I haven't seen him." He paused. "Do you like riddles?"

"What?"

"For example, what kind of room has no doors or windows?"

Jo was utterly confused; was this a test? She had no idea what the man beside her wanted, nor how to answer his query. "I give up?"

"A mushroom..!" He declared excitedly. "Do you get it? A mush-room. See, it's clever because mushrooms are not actually rooms at all…it's just in the name."

"Oh…okay." Jo smiled politely, understanding the riddle but not why he found its answer so amusing. Still, he was a nice enough guy so she wasn't going to criticise him for having a bizarre sense of humour beyond her simple understanding. "Detective Bullock isn't here either, is he?"

"I haven't seen him. Is it urgent that you speak to them?" His eyes moved to the bag Jo was carrying. "Do you need somewhere to stay? I have a spare sofa if you want it."

"It's fine, I can find a motel." It wasn't that Jo didn't want to stay with the man whose name she still couldn't remember – he couldn't be any worse to stay with than Oswald – it was the fact that she was running from too much for a nice guy like that to handle. There were too many demons for her to hide from him. "Thank you, though. It's a very kind offer."

"Are you sure I can't persuade you?" He asked with a smile. "I have a lot of video games that we could play."

Jo found herself smiling at his completely innocent nature; if she wasn't in the mob business, she'd have loved to have had a friend like him. In fact, having such a sweet man as an ally would have greatly benefitted Jo during her highschool years; she was quite a lot like him 10 years ago. Perhaps someone like him would've kept Jo sane when the bullies got in her face.

"Hey Nygma, you perv, get over here!" A detective shouted from his desk, interrupting their conversation. At least Jo knew his surname now. That was it! His name was Ed Nygma – she recalled how hearing it the other week had made her smile with amusement.

"I should…uh, excuse me." Ed glanced behind him at the group of detectives laughing his way, his smile disappearing.

"Thanks again for the offer, Mr. Nygma." Jo followed his eyes to where the detectives sat around watching him with amused faces. Clearly this happened a lot. Without thinking, Jo decided to assert her view on the intelligent forensic examiner and headed over to their desk.

"What can we do for you, babe?" One asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Don't call me that." Jo said shortly before slamming her hands onto the desk. "I want you to lay off Mr. Nygma."

"What makes you think you have any power in here?"

"Oh, is it because I'm a woman? You think that because of my gender that I can't fuck you up?" She frowned and swung her arm across the desk, knocking the contents off the top of it. "I work closely with Fish Mooney, whom I understand has a very solid agreement with this department, and if I hear that you've been screwing with my friend again, there will be consequences." A bagel on the desk caught her eye and she snatched it up. "I'm taking this by the way."

Before the detectives could offer any sexist remarks, Jo smiled and walked away, patting Ed on the back before leaving the building. While Jo doubted her empty threat had done much good in terms of relieving Ed Nygma of the ridicule of his intelligence, warning the detectives off had at least been a way for her to somewhat vent her rage on the male race. And for a struggling woman trying to flourish in a city of predominantly dominant male cops and mob bosses, it felt great to at least be the one with the power for just a few seconds.

As she headed out of the precinct, Jo saw Harvey across the street. Well she heard him first; his evidently tipsy laughter rang through the empty street. But before she had the chance to call out to him, it became apparent that he wasn't alone. He held open the door to his car and a woman climbed into the passenger seat, laughing along with him. The scene alone almost broke her heart. Sure, until this point Jo had been devoted to Oswald but she had always hoped that he'd be available when she was. Out of all the people in Gotham, Jo fancied finding companionship in the strong arms of the hardened detective. After all, he'd flirted with her before.

But apparently, she wasn't the only one to be fed sweet words by Harvey Bullock. And there was no doubt that she'd be the last.

Feeling rejected, Jo decided to head to the nearest motel and pay for a few nights in a grimy room. It was better than staying in her own apartment, staring at the floor where Oswald…

She wasn't going to think about that now.

Jo had expected to be abused in that way long before Oswald came along; her job was to entertain men and her clothes hardly ever left much to the imagination. It would've only been a matter of time before some guy caught her on her way through the dimly-lit streets in a mini skirt. But Jo felt that a stranger harming that wouldn't have been so cruel – at least she'd have _expected_ as such – whereas Oswald had been her friend, her romantic interest. While he wasn't the most trustworthy of souls, Jo would've never thought that he'd hurt her in such a harsh way. At first, Jo had assumed Oswald to be virtually harmless but now she knew that the guy who once carried Fish's umbrella, the guy who most likely spied on her for weeks before he became her lodger, was gaining too much power. He needed to be pulled back down to the ground where he belonged. He was nothing more than a small fish posing as the shark in a big pond. He was _nothing_.

These thoughts swirled round in Jo's head throughout the night, as she lay staring at the filthy motel ceiling in the hopes that she could take her mind off Oswald Cobblepot. She couldn't.

"Damnit…" Jo muttered, sliding off the mattress to where her bag sat on the chair. She unzipped it and reached for the box at the bottom: Charlie's box. Lifting the lid, Jo was greeted by photographs of influential mob bosses, maps of their networks and detailed accounts of their careers in such dark work. Detective Charlie Faraway, while usually a half-assed man, certainly had done his homework on such figures as Don Falcone. While he had never fully explained to Jo why he was so interested in investigating Gotham's key players, she could've easily guessed why; hence why it was easy for the performer to assume that Jim Gordon was also toying with the idea of playing the good cop. They were one in the same, Charlie and Jim. That was probably why he made Jo feel so at ease. Detective Gordon was also trying to make a difference and while Charlie had failed miserably, it looked like the new guy at the GCPD at least had a chance.

Jo took out the pistol from the bottom of the box and held it tightly. It was slightly bigger than most firearms she had used before but that probably made it all the more effective. Perhaps she'd hang onto it for future use.

Setting the gun down on the floor, Jo rifled through her bag for the one thing she'd packed with care. A photograph of her father. "Oh dad, if you were here you'd know what to do. You'd be the one I'd confide in and you'd get me out of this fuckin' mess…" She sighed, staring pensively at the ageing photograph. "I don't know how but you always seemed to sort things out quickly. Whether it was money or a job that I needed…you and mom always had the means. It's just a shame that I've always been good at fucking things up." Jo felt her eyes sting and rested her head in her hands, back against the wall, knees propped under her chin. "But I try, you know. I've been trying really hard to make things work, for mom. I can't lose her too. And I'll keep trying to be a better person; I won't let all this consume me. I won't let this city change me, I swear."

Jo fell asleep on the floor that night. She cried herself to sleep but at least she was eventually able to rest. God knows she needed it after all she'd been through following the Wayne murders.

* * *

Kitty Forster was sat on her sofa reading a magazine when she heard a knock on her door. At first, she attempted to ignore the knocking; anticipating a visit from her landlady or debt collectors. However when the person outside persisted to bang their fist on the door, Kitty was forced to get up to answer it. For someone who was half way through their second bottle of vodka, her footsteps were relatively straight and her voice was even. "Who the hell is it?" She shouted, leaning against the door for support.

"Katherine, open the door."

Unfortunately, Kitty knew that voice immediately and had a good reason why he was outside. "Jo's not here. And even if she was, I wouldn't let you in, Penguin."

He chuckled, "either you open the door or I'll find a way in myself."

The blonde angrily swung open the door and frowned when she saw Oswald standing there with a smug smile in place. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" He stepped into the room, dragging his bum leg behind him.

"Not long enough." Kitty closed the door behind him.

"Where is Josephina? If she's not here you must at least have an idea where she may have gone."

"Thanks to you we don't talk anymore."

"Oh, that's right. You're jealous of her and I." He smirked and moved closer to the dancer.

"You're a sick bastard to manipulate her the way you do." Kitty spat, taking a step back.

"I would never do anything to hurt her..!" Oswald insisted, raising his voice.

"I heard Jo throw you out yesterday." Kitty said, balling her hands into fists. "You've obviously done somethin' to upset her and she clearly doesn't want you anymore if you don't even know where she's gone."

Oswald grinned and nodded. "Thanks to your little talk with Josephina, she believes that I'm not capable of standing by her as an honest partner. Now that I think about it, you're to blame. You turned her against me!" He threw a vase from the counter in temper. "You never liked me! You and the rest of those whores were always cruel to me…Josephina was the only one who treated me like a human being and you've ruined that! I worked so hard for her, I deserve to be happy with my precious dove!"

Kitty grabbed her phone, sensing that Oswald's behaviour could put her in danger. "Get outta here you creep or I'll call the police."

"Then you'll have to explain to Fish that I've been living with Josephina." Her reaction was simply silence and Oswald knew that not even Kitty had the guts to turn in her friend. Besides, she loved her.

"What do you want from me? I told you, I don't know where she is." A thought occurred to Kitty and she couldn't help but smile. Whether it was true or not, Kitty needed a reason to rile Oswald up and get rid of him. "But I think I know who she's with."

Just as Kitty expected, Oswald's face contorted into one of confusion, followed by anger.

"That's right. A real handsome guy came to see her at the club the other night. He was tall, kind and clearly had more money than you. Jo hadn't smiled so much since Charlie was around and you know what, I hope she's at his place right now."

Oswald sucked in a breath, his eyes wide. "Y-You're lying…"

"What'll you do now, Penguin, waddle after Jo and beg her to take you back?" Kitty laughed cruelly, "you pathetic son of a—"

Before Kitty could finish her sentence, Oswald had shoved the blonde against the kitchen counter, causing her to hit her head and fall to the floor. When she didn't get to her feet and curse some more, Oswald couldn't help but smirk. She was dead.

While this news would definitely devastate Jo, it could potentially bring about a silver lining. Following the death of her best friend, Jo would need comfort – and she always found plenty of it in Oswald's arms. Perhaps the sad news of Kitty's demise would make his dove vulnerable and she would no longer have her pretty mind corrupted by her friend's cruel words.

The whole scenario could definitely look like an accident; Kitty had evidently been drinking so it would've been easy enough for her to simply fall and hit her head. Besides, there was no weapon: there was no blood on Oswald's knife. Kitty Forster, a clear obstacle for Oswald from day one, was dead and he was off the hook.

As he left the apartment, Oswald couldn't help but chuckle. "Goodbye, Katherine."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N**

**For the first time ever I cannot think of anything to say in my notes. I have literally been staring at the screen for 20 minutes trying to think of something interesting or witty to say but I have nothing. All I can say is this chapter coexists quite firmly with episode 7 and I gave it a very good go.**

**Oh, I also started another Gotham fic yesterday called ****_Smile For Me_****. It's a Jerome one (since he is a precious cinnamon role) so if you like his character, it'd be really great if you could check that out too. Although I won't force you, I don't mind if you don't I just figured mentioning my other story would be something to talk about in my author's notes haha.**

**Please enjoy this chapter! All follows/favourites are highly appreciated and reviews/PMs are always welcome. Even though I don't always reply, I do read all your reviews and smile :)**

* * *

The next morning, Oswald waited eagerly by the door of Bamonte's restaurant for Jo's arrival. Today was the day that Maroni's men would raid Nikolai's warehouse and, in a desperate bid to prove himself to Jo and earn her forgiveness, Oswald had requested that his former lover join them on the job. Much to the annoyance of Frankie Carbone.

He hated both Oswald and Jo but together they were an ugly pair – at least that's what he thought. Oswald was the outer force, the sickening sycophant, but under all that there was Jo. Maroni's right-hand man had known there was something off about her from day one and he planned to find out exactly what she was hiding; a woman as delicate as her wouldn't chose to work for an influential mob boss without an ulterior motive.

With a distasteful frown, Frankie watched as Jo entered the restaurant – almost an hour late – but she completely blanked Oswald. Not a lot of things left Frankie Carbone stunned but seeing Jo's frosty reception of Oswald did just that. Perhaps it made her slightly more tolerable in his opinion.

"You're late." Carbone said in a monotone voice, glancing Jo over with a glare while acting like he hadn't just witnessed her ignorance towards Oswald's greeting.

"Well done, you can tell the time." Jo smirked. "Am I going on a job today?"

"You'll be joining us in raiding Nikolai's warehouse, my dear." Oswald announced, appearing at her side.

"I think I'll pass, thank you." She forced a wide grin before slipping by the two men. "Oh, and don't call me dear. It's degrading Oswald, _dear_."

While Jo's demeanour was calm and cheerful, it was evident that there was a storm brewing underneath her pretty little exterior – which intrigued Carbone to say the least.

"Charlie what's going on with you?" Maroni asked, having been within earshot the whole time. "I thought you wanted to get out there. This will be a brilliant opportunity for you, and Oswald can take care of you if you feel uncomfortable…"

_Is he for real?_ Jo masked her annoyance behind a sweet smile. "Of course, I'd be honoured to help. It'll be so nice to be protected by such big, strong men." With a smile and a wink, she turned to Gabe, an underling of Carbone's; purposely trying to get under Oswald's skin. It seemed that Frankie was the only one to catch onto Jo's sarcasm however as he insisted that they hurry up and head to the warehouse.

It all happened so quickly after that.

Jo recalled how typically snarky Frankie's remarks were – particularly towards Oswald – but on this occasion, she didn't care to stand up for him. Actually, she and Don Maroni's second-in-command were almost getting along for once. Much to Oswald's annoyance.

"Yeah, alright. You're very clever…" Frankie said, handing Jo a gun as he paced the room, admiring the vast amount of money that surrounded them.

"I sense a sarcastic and hostile edge to your tone." Oswald replied very matter-of-factly, almost glancing over at Jo for backup. She just smirked and leaned against the wall, watching the event play out.

"Hostile?" Frankie grinned and punched Oswald in the gut, sending him reeling over in pain. "You got that right."

They argued some more before Carbone grabbed Oswald by the collar, his voice low and threatening. "See, all I gotta do is put a bullet in your brain, right here. _Bang_. Gee, that's too bad. End of story." He shoved Oswald backwards and Jo was too busy trying to sneak some stray $50 bills into her bra for later since she already knew her wage would be a lot smaller than that of the men around her. But she didn't even realise what was going on until it was too late.

On Oswald's signal, the other two men grabbed Frankie by the arms, restricting his movement.

"What drives you? What's your passion?" Oswald smiled briefly. "When you know what a man loves, you know what can kill him." He looked over at Jo, who met his icy gaze with a frown. "_Who_ can kill him."

Oswald reached into his pocket. "You love money. You're a skinflint, Mr. Carbone. A cheapskate!"

Frankie sensed the danger and began squirming in the two men's arms. "Hey, let me go!"

"It's a sad fact that there is no loyalty among thieves." Oswald took out his pocket knife and Frankie's eyes went wide, the panic more than apparent by the look on his usually unamused visage.

"Oswald, stop..!" Jo hissed, stepping forward slightly – but not close enough to put herself in harm's way.

He didn't listen to her of course, and plunged the knife into Carbone's stomach before digging deeper with each twisted word that followed. "Your greatest passion becomes your greatest weakness!"

Once again, Oswald looked over at Jo who felt repulsed at the sight that she was unable to end. She couldn't do anything but watch as Oswald drew the blade out of Frankie and allowed him to fall to the floor, weak and close to death.

Oswald gasped breathlessly at the sight, his face almost triumphant and he leaned forward to hold the dying Frankie's shoulder. "Love, Mr. Carbone." He smiled as he watched the life leave his eyes, laughing giddily. "Love conquers all."

As soon as Frankie's breathing stopped, Oswald kissed the man's forehead, just as a Don would do. Just as the man he desired to become would do.

He straightened up soon after and turned to Jo who, in return, gave him a repulsed look before she stormed out. She had never seen a more disgusting sight; Carbone had been a jerk but he hadn't done anything worthy of such a gruesome death. In his last moments, Jo had pitied him: to be taken out by Oswald Cobblepot must have been degrading.

"Josephina, are you alright?" Oswald asked, placing a hand on her shoulder as she stood hunched over, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Don't touch me!" Jo wiped her eyes quickly and glared at Oswald. "Why the hell did you kill him?!"

"F-For you…I…he always did treat you horribly so I thought that—"

Jo laughed, "you thought that offing Frankie would make me fall into your arms?" She shook her head. "Don't put this on me. You've been more than willing to kill before to get into Maroni's inner circle."

Oswald shook his head, adamant that he was telling the truth. "No, no…I meant what I said in there. Love, our love, will conquer all obstacles. We will take over this city; I'd do anything for you."

"Then leave me alone!" Jo shouted, shoving Oswald backwards. "I want you to stay away from me!"

"I can't do that, Josephina. You're my dove…my sweet dove, I—"

"Oh Oswald, you poor, hopeless fool." Jo turned to head back to the car. "I never even loved you."

Perhaps it was a lie; Jo had always been unsure regarding her feelings for the umbrella boy.

"You might be my greatest passion, Josephina…but what's yours, hm? _Who _is your greatest passion…your weakness?" He raised his voice as Jo continued to walk away. "I will find your weakness, my pretty little dove!"

* * *

When Jo arrived at Mooney's, Butch immediately bombarded her. "You've got a client waiting upstairs."

Jo barely registered what he had said; her mind was still back at the warehouse where Oswald had showed some of his darkest colours. "What do you mean, a client?"

"Like I said, Fish wants you to go upstairs. Looks like you attract attention even in your absence." Butch chuckled and started to lead Jo upstairs. "Fish also wants to know if you've seen Kitty."

"No, I haven't." Jo replied quickly. "We don't really talk anymore."

"Well if you happen to see her can you tell her that Fish ain't happy? She's been slacking lately and she hasn't even come in today."

That should've been a red flag in Jo's mind but she was too focused on a hundred other things to realise the potential severity behind Kitty's absence. But it wasn't totally unusual: Kitty often skipped work in the past.

"Anyway, you got one hour. And the guy paid highly so give him a good time." Butch grinned and left Jo at the door, humming to himself down the hallway.

Sighing, Jo turned the doorknob and swiftly closed the door behind her, proceeding to take off her skirt before she'd even glanced over the apparently eager client. "So, what should I call you?"

"Well, Harvey will do nicely."

Jo could've keeled over right there by the door. She swiftly turned around to see none other than Detective Bullock sat on the silk sheets with an amused expression. Clearly, he'd have expected Jo to realise he was in the room before taking off her skirt.

"What the hell are you doing!" Jo hissed, quickly picking up her skirt and zipping it back up.

Harvey held his hands up as if to protest his innocence. "Hey, I just handed a lot of cash over for a good time but I'm feeling so attacked…" He grinned and shook his head when Jo looked panicked. "Of course I'm not here for that. I just want to talk to you, are you okay?"

Jo couldn't help but smile as she joined him on the bed. "It's a touching sentiment but I'm sure there are other ways to contact a girl. I mean, people could start thinking you've got a thing for Mooney's dancers."

"I don't have a thing for dancers, just you." Harvey stated with a smug grin. However he soon broke the silence by changing the subject. "Anyway, it's impossible to reach you. Nygma told me that you were at the station looking for me and Jim. I tried calling your apartment block but there was no answer, so I headed over there and your landlady said she hadn't seen you around – we even went up to your apartment to check and you weren't there. You really need to get a cell phone or I need to get a tracker installed so I can find you without having to pay hundreds of dollars."

Her eyes went wide. "You didn't." Harvey nodded. "Oh my god, you idiot. I'll make sure to get that money back to you and—"

"Jo, it's okay. I've just been so damn worried about you; we haven't talked in a long while." Harvey took off his hat, shifting awkwardly on the edge of the bed. "See, thing is, I care about you." He held up a hand before Jo could interject. "I know you don't feel the same but I'm drawn to you like the old fool I am."

Jo knew that Harvey's words were genuine, however she just couldn't forget about what she saw outside the GCPD. In fact, recalling the sight made her feel bitter.

"You weren't drawn to me last night though, were you?" Jo mumbled, unable to avoid the animosity she was feeling. She wasn't even that angry; it was more to do with the fact that men in general kept screwing her over. "Did you go to yours or hers?"

It didn't take Harvey long to realise what Jo was talking about, what she'd witnessed. For the first time ever, Harvey Bullock found himself speechless. It seemed that only Jo was capable of shutting him up.

Even though she did feel bad as soon as she'd said it. "No, you know what, it's none of my business. We're not romantically involved and it's not like I can judge who you have sex with." Jo knew that, if she'd been looking for a time to explain herself, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. "When I turned you down before…"

"Nah, Jo it's fine." Harvey insisted, noticing that her behaviour was unusually tense.

"I turned you down because I was already seeing someone, not because I didn't like you." Jo told him, resting her hands in her lap. "But I was too scared to tell you; I couldn't tell anyone about our relationship. It wasn't right to lie to you but if you found out, I knew you'd hate me even more."

"Are you and this guy…"

Jo shook her head. "No. No, I've made it very clear that I don't want anything more to do with him. That's not to say that I'm suddenly going to pounce on you. I'm not like that…if you can believe it."

"I wouldn't mind if you pounced on me." Harvey grinned; trying to make her smile as usual. And Jo did, she couldn't help but laugh a little. "But why didn't you go home last night? Did you and this guy get into a fight?"

_He deserves to know._

Jo took in a deep breath, unsure of how to put what she was about to say into words – while feeling crazy for even contemplating telling a detective about her unstable, murderer dead-but-not-dead boyfriend. "Remember when I told you there was no domestic issue after I got into that scrap at work?" Jo bit her lip and stared intently at her shoes. "I guess I spoke too soon. He…um, he…" She balled her hands into fists and tried to tell the detective what Oswald had done to her but the words wouldn't come out. It was too impossible to explain.

That look in Jo's eyes was enough.

Harvey frowned and gripped the bedsheets as if to restrain himself. He felt like he'd blow as soon as he left the room. "Who is he?"

"Harvey, I—"

"Who is he, Jo?" His voice was firmer, more demanding. It was as if knowing the identity of the man who'd abused Jo's trust in him mattered more than anything else in the world.

Jo stood up from the bed and shook her head; Harvey's immediate anger suddenly prompting a realisation within her. Perhaps some of the blame was on her.

"Please, I don't want to talk about it. What happened was my fault…"

"How is it your fault? Jo, this guy hurt you!"

"No it's me. It's always me, this is what I do." She ran a hand through her long ombre hair. "I play with guys' emotions, I string them along until they can't take my games any more. Charlie was killed because of me, and this guy nearly died because I couldn't keep my mouth shut." _Because I'm too power-hungry._ "I mean, you should hate me after everything I've done."

"Jo, I could never hate you." Harvey insisted, standing up to place his hands on her shoulders as if to calm some of the tension raging throughout her body. "Please don't disappear on me again."

She returned the gesture with a hug. It was simple but Jo just needed to feel genuine human contact without any repercussions or hidden agendas lurking in the background. Every time Harvey was around, Jo was able to feel like she was somewhat important within this long chain of influential mob bosses. The performer felt like she could be the person she wanted to be in his presence; her other identities faded and she was left with this perfect personality.

"Can I take you out to dinner?" Jo mumbled, still clinging to Harvey – clinging to her ideal self.

Harvey appeared to be taken aback by the request but soon grinned eagerly. "Yeah, of course. Do you have any place in mind?"

"I don't get out much. We'll go anywhere you want." Jo smiled and checked the clock: they still had 40 minutes left. "Fancy a drink?"

She smiled and reached under the bed; Kitty and a few of the other girls tended to sneak drinks up to the private rooms in case their clients were a complete bore, troll or a mix of the two. Sure enough, Jo felt a large bottle and pulled it out onto the bed.

While their first date was far from classy and conventional, Harvey promised that the second one would top it in every way and Jo believed him. Perhaps everything would finally start to go Jo's way.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N**

**Hi there! I hope you're all well.**

**I was so pleased to hear that many of you love Harvey and Jo's interactions and, while their date doesn't happen in this chapter, they will be getting more time together in future ones. However, I have to ask, are you guys on team Oswald or team Harvey? I might try and get some polls up on my page if I can work out how to do that, but for now you can just comment below if you'd like to.**

**I actually don't know how things will play out yet; although I have planned Jo's position at the end of season 1 and during season 2. But that is 8 chapters away at the very least. However, she will become increasingly involved with a few other main characters soon because, as I've said before, I'm try to give Jo some connection to all of them to make writing easier.**

**I'll continue my notes further down, please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Oswald strolled into Mooney's nightclub, carrying a small box under one arm. He noticed Jo and the other dancers laughing in the corridor but her own smile faltered when she saw her ex. First of all Jo wanted to know what on earth Oswald hoped to achieve with a surprise visit to his old employer – whom he betrayed – in the late hours of the night. Instead of leaving matters be, Oswald hobbled over to where the young women were stood and smiled.

"So lovely to see all of you again." He turned to stare Jo directly in the eye and nodded politely, as if they were nothing more than old acquaintances. "Josephina."

"Penguin." Jo smiled back, although it was forced.

In response, Oswald frowned and gestured for his two lackeys to follow him into the main part of the club in search of Fish. The door was closed behind them and Jo couldn't help but wonder what business Oswald had with her – or what he was planning to talk with Fish about.

"I knew he had a thing for you." Angel smiled smugly and took a drag from her cigarette. "I _knew_ it." The other performers burst into simultaneous giggles and Jo rolled her eyes; brushing off Oswald's greeting as a formal gesture. It wasn't like she could trust any of them with the truth as Kitty's loyalty was still unclear.

However, after 10 minutes, Butch left the room and asked for Jo to join them; leaving the other girls to gossip further amongst themselves.

Fish smiled as Jo stepped through the door, beckoning her to the table with the curling of her finger. The first thing Jo noticed was that Oswald's hand was bleeding out onto the table, even though his facial expression was stern and unmoving; whereas Fish had that typical fire in her eyes, signifying that she had a brilliant idea to ensure her stay at the top and, more importantly, above Oswald.

"Jo, you remember Oswald don't you?"

She nodded, standing anxiously by the table. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Cobblepot."

Oswald chuckled and stood up to face Jo, taking her hand with his non-injured one to give it a quick kiss. But Jo yanked her hand away, much to Fish's disappointment.

"What is it that you need me for, Ms. Mooney?" Jo asked curtly, shrinking away from Oswald.

Truthfully, just being in the same room as Oswald was enough to place Jo on edge; not just because of the harm he'd caused her, but because of how easily he was able to take Frankie Carbone's life – and with little reason. So standing in front of him in her performing attire, which on that day happened to be rather revealing, made the whole situation all the more nerve-wracking.

"It seems that Oswald has injured his hand." Fish smirked and it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was behind said wound. "Could you be a dear and clean it up for him?"

Jo glanced from Fish to Oswald and sighed. "Fine. This way please…" Jo gestured for Oswald to follow her through to the dressing room.

"Fish, what does this have to do with Jo?" Butch asked as the door closed behind them.

"Oh Butch, this has everything to do with her. That Penguin is captivated by her."

Oswald shifted slightly on the small sofa as Jo fumbled around the room in search of the first aid kit.

"You're in luck." She said, coming over with a roll of bandages in hand and kneeling on the floor beside him. Jo took Oswald's hand in hers and for a second, it was as if none of the unpleasantness had happened. Oswald felt her soft, warm hand on his and smiled, hoping that she'd smile back.

Instead, Jo proceeded to wrap the bandage around Oswald's hand; her face straight and eyes focused. Oswald couldn't help but note how gentle Jo was being, despite all the pain he'd cast upon her. She could've been terribly cruel, she should have been, then at least Oswald would have felt that they were somewhat even.

When she had finished, she stood up to put some distance between her and the man who had betrayed her trust. "Did Fish do that to you?"

He nodded and removed the lid from the box, revealing a beautiful and expensive-looking broach. "I had hoped to give this to Fish but…please, accept it instead. As an apology." Oswald pushed the box into Jo's hands.

"No, Oswald. I can't." Jo shook her head and handed the box back to him. "It's sweet of you but I can't. Not after what we've been through."

"I am truly sorry for any pain I may have caused you, Josephina." Oswald insisted, his voice trembling slightly. "If I could take it all back I would. I never meant to hurt you."

For a split second, Jo smiled at the sincerity behind Oswald's apology: he actually meant it. But then Jo remembered his other misdeeds.

"But you meant to harm Carbone, didn't you? And Lou…and those other men."

"Not by choice. I had to get rid of them…to pave the way for us. For _our _future." Oswald seemed so sure of himself that Jo felt sick; every time Oswald showed the slightest bit of human decency he always managed to stray back in the opposite direction. "I hoped you and I would have the world in the palm of our hands but…we can still have that. If you give me another chance I promise that I will prove my worth to you. I miss what we had, I miss us."

"Oswald, there is no _us_. Not anymore. You do know that, don't you?" Jo whispered, almost feeling sorry for Oswald with his delusions. "I still care about you but, just, not in that way. I hope you understand."

Honestly, Jo was amazed at how well she handled the situation. Well, she could hardly scream at Oswald what with Fish being in the next room – there was that and the fact that he knew too much.

"Oh." Oswald frowned and stood up, clasping his hands together. "Well I hope that your new beau has fully-functioning locks on his door."

Jo froze: did Oswald know about her and Harvey?

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, my dear sweet dove. Absolutely nothing." Oswald moved closer to Jo and tapped her playfully on the nose. "You just get ready for your show. I'm sure you will be magnificent." He glanced over Jo's attire with leering eyes, chuckling to himself.

Deciding not to draw any further suspicion, Jo didn't say a word and allowed Oswald to leave quietly; holding the broach protectively under his arm once again, as he had done upon entering Mooney's nightclub.

* * *

At first, Oswald had planned to give the broach to his mother; understanding her fascination with such pretty things. However, a much better thought occurred to him. Oswald needed a reason to break back into Jo's life and there was only one person who could help mend the rift between them.

"Paolo, what a nice surprise." Nora exclaimed as he appeared outside the coffee shop just as she was closing up for the night. "Can I help you with something?"

"I need to speak with you, Mrs. Carnell. I'm truly worried about Josephina and only you can help her."

However, despite his brilliant acting, Oswald couldn't help but let out a low chuckle as he followed Nora inside. The poor woman was too kind for her own good.

"This is a pretty gift, Paolo." Nora smiled, admiring the broach Oswald had thrust upon her. "Thank you. But you said that you had to tell me something about Josephina?"

Oswald nodded, lowering his head. "Your daughter is in a very dark place, Mrs. Carnell. She threw me out because I tried to help her."

"…Josephina, ended your relationship?" Nora blinked in surprise, evidently disappointed by the news. "What a shame, I'm sorry Paolo. If there is anything I can do, please tell me."

Oh that was perfect. "The truth is, I fear that Josephina is seeing someone else, but she has become so wrapped up in work that this man could be anyone…I fear that he might harm her."

"I had no idea the call centre was full of such characters." Nora thought aloud, intently watching Oswald's wide eyes that were now full of warning.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this but…Josephina doesn't work at a call centre. She works at Mooney's nightclub; I'm sure you're aware of what…activities take place inside. Hence why I am afraid that she's becoming involved with some truly dark people."

Nora found herself laughing slightly, as if Oswald had told her an unbelievable joke. "Excuse me?"

"Please, Mrs. Carnell, I don't think I can say it." Oswald replied quickly, feigning a pained expression on his pale face. "I'm telling you this because I know she will listen to you. You're her loving mother, after all."

Poor Nora stood up, feeling overwhelmed by what she was hearing. With frail hands she picked up a photograph from a decade ago, of the Carnell family. Clearly, this news had come as a shock to Nora but Oswald hardly felt guilty; the woman deserved to know what her daughter was getting up to. It served Josephina right for being cruel to him.

"How could I let this happen to her?" Nora whispered. "Donald would've known what to do but I…I just don't. I don't even know my own daughter, Paolo." Her voice became choked as she tried not to cry.

"Oh, by no means is this your fault." Oswald insisted, still forging his sincerity. "You and I both want to help Josephina and I'm sure that is what we shall do."

* * *

_"I like the way you make me shiver_

_Silver smoke, my lips are quivering_

_Oh, I like the way you leave me cold._

_I like the way you shake the shutters_

_So pristine, my teeth are chattering_

_I like the way you leave me cold._

_The sky's gone out_

_There's no reason_

_Hollow dark in this mausoleum_

_Underneath you I shiver like a stone._

_I like the way you trick the tremble_

_Porcelain and frozen heavenly_

_I like the way you-"_

"Josephina María Carnell!"

Jo stopped singing and froze in the middle of the stage; clad in her fishnet stockings and black laced undergarments. She dropped her microphone as the pianist stopped playing.

"Get down from there right now, come here..!" Nora herself ran over to the stage and grabbed Jo's wrist to pull her down. "We're leaving, come on."

"Mom, what the hell. Let go of me!" Jo hissed, pulling her hand away as Fish Mooney approached the stage with an unimpressed frown.

However, Nora wasn't even intimidated by the influential crime boss, despite having a good idea of who she was. "You! Where do you get off taking innocent girls from the streets and turning them into playthings?" Nora stared Fish Mooney down; which was something barely anyone had had the guts to do before.

"You're Jo's mother I presume?" Fish folded her arms. "I apologise if there's been any misunderstanding but this is a respectable business. _My_ business. So I'd appreciate it if you came back to speak with my girl after hours." She kept her voice low to avoid attracting the attention of the already impatient clients around the stage.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do. She's my daughter."

"Mom, you have to go." Jo insisted, nodding towards the door. "This is embarrassing."

"I'll tell you what's embarrassing. Watching your daughter throw her life away to dance around in a pair of leather boots." Nora frowned, raising her voice. "I can't even begin to comprehend why you broke up with Paolo! He was such a sweet boy."

Jo felt her heart sink. Oswald had a hold over her mother, that much was now more than apparent. She turned to Fish. "Please, just…just give us a moment. I'm really sorry, Ms. Mooney."

Instead of denying Jo the chance to explain matters to her mother, Fish actually nodded and managed a small smile. "Darling, it's alright. This isn't your fault."

With a frown, Nora dragged her daughter outside the building itself and onto the cold streets of Gotham. "I have never felt more mortified…"

"Tell me about it…" Jo rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest – both because of the low temperature outside the club, and to show her mother that she was seriously annoyed. "Mom, what were you thinking? You can't just barge in and take me off the stage in the middle of a show! That could really harm Ms. Mooney's business – and my own, actually!"

"What do you mean, _your_ business?"

Jo raised an eyebrow. "How many guys will want to pay for sex with a girl whose mother shows up unannounced and makes a huge scene?"

"You mean…oh my god, Josephina! When did you start working here?!" Nora now sounded disgusted, her hand covering her mouth. "I want you to quit, right now! Then you're moving in with me so I can keep an eye on you…"

"Mom, you lost any power over me long ago – I'm 25! I don't think locking me in my room will work."

"Please, Josephina…just come home. Paolo and I are so worried about what you're getting up to and I really think—"

"Paolo isn't who he says he is. You only like him so much because your dad was called Paolo." Jo snapped, glancing behind at the door in case Fish or Butch had followed her outside. She lowered her voice. "His name is Oswald Cobblepot. He works for Sal Maroni, the mob boss, and he…" Did Jo really want to call Oswald out as a murderer, especially when Nora held him in such high regard?

_Well he showed my mom my true colours, she should at least know his._

"He's killed people, mom. He stabbed a guy right in front of me and—"

"I know, Josephina; Paolo – or Oswald – told me everything. Unlike you. And he told me why he had to get rid of that man." Nora sighed, disappointment washing over her like a tidal wave. That look on her face made Jo feel sick: she trusted Oswald more than her own daughter.

"I don't even want to know what sick lie he told you." Jo said, turning on her heels. "In fact, here's a piece of home truth for you mom. You never knew me, not really. You were a poor excuse for a parent and if it wasn't for dad, I'd have turned to this place long before now. You should just be thankful that Ms. Mooney was kind enough to take me in as her daughter."

Jo's words hit Nora like a slap in the face and she just stared on in shock as her daughter headed back inside to finish her routine and whatever else she planned to do that night. Of course Jo wished she could take back her words as soon as they had slipped out, but there was no point apologising now. The truth was out and nothing could possibly change that.

* * *

**A/N**

**It's no surprise that Fish and Nora don't get along, right? It's the battle for the title of Jo's mum. I do like Nora as a character though, out of all my OC's on this site she has to be the nicest mother. Maybe a little too nice for someone living in Gotham.**

**The song Jo's singing as her mum comes into the club is called 'You leave me cold' by Jill Tracy. I've probably mentioned the artist before but her music will inspire the path Jo eventually takes since her songs tend to be quite dark.**

**I also have to thank every one who's also read my Jerome/OC fic '_Smile for Me_' because, like with this fic, the support has been insane. Thank you!**

**I'm also thinking about uploading Gotham short stories/one shots on my tumblr soon (which is charbee97) so if you think that'd be good let me know. **

**Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who's read this so far! All the follows/favourites/reviews are greatly appreciated :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N**

**GET READY FOR A MEGA CUTE HARVEY AND JO CHAPTER.**

**This chapter is literally 75% date so I hope you're all fine with that. I do miss Oswald though so he'll probably become important again soon enough.**

**Oh and I have some (potentially) cool news! I'm moving a lot of my writing to tumblr where I'll be doing oneshots, preferences, imagines and ship requests. The account is called luciebell-writes if you want to check it out...I'm just setting it up right now.**

**I'll continue my ramblings later on, please enjoy! x**

* * *

Since Jo had agreed to a date, Harvey hadn't stopped grinning. She had been one difficult girl to charm but perhaps he'd finally found a way to do so. It was almost an accomplishment.

"Jim, where would you normally take Barbara out for dinner?" Harvey asked as they sat at their desks, attempting to make sense of a new case that had almost sprung up out of nowhere.

Jim looked up from his desk, his face bemused. "What's this about…you got a date Harvey?"

"Yeah, I might have." Harvey grinned, eager to tell his friend that he'd finally succeeded in winning the dancer's affection. "Jo Carnell."

"You're kidding…" He wanted to be supportive but there were many issues with his partner dating one of Fish Mooney's girls – one being that he still believed her to be with Oswald.

"No, seriously. She asked me." Harvey told Jim, a smug smile spreading from ear to ear. "We got talking at Mooney's and she explained everything to me. Jo turned me down before because of some other guy she was dating."

"Did she say who he was?" Jim asked, curious as to how truthful Jo had suddenly become.

"I asked but she wouldn't tell me." Harvey shrugged. "I think she was scared that I'd throw that guy's sorry ass in jail – or worse. Believe me, if I found out who he was he wouldn't even make it here."

Jim frowned. "Wait, what happened between Ms Carnell and the man she was seeing?" When he went to visit her, Jo had insisted that she was bound to Oswald even though he was evidently dangerous, so what had he done that was bad enough for the seemingly tolerant performer to throw him out?

"I don't know for sure Jim but…you shoulda seen her face. She mirrored those women from domestic abuse cases. Whatever he did really hurt her."

"Are you talking about Jo Carnell?" As if out of nowhere, Ed was stood over the desk, a curious smile on his face.

Harvey jumped, "Ed, I've already told you…don't, don't sneak up on me like that."

"Am I correct in hearing that you and Jo are going on a date?" Ed asked, still smiling. "I have to commend that decision, detective. She's a very nice girl."

"What did you and Jo talk about when she came by here the other night?" Harvey decided that, as Ed had been the only person she'd spoken to that night when she had come looking for help, he may have been made aware of her situation.

"I offered her a place to stay, of course. She declined, but I do believe that we became well-acquainted. She…was very kind to me." Ed didn't want to think about how Jo had been forced to stand up to those cruel detectives on his behalf, it was emasculating, but at least he'd perhaps found a friend in her. "I have heard that a restaurant by the name of Chez Vous is of good quality. Perhaps you could take her there?"

Harvey watched Ed for a moment: how long had he been standing there exactly? It didn't matter, for once the detective was going to trust in his word.

* * *

Having left her nicest dresses in her apartment, Jo snuck back there before Harvey was due to pick her up in search of suitable evening attire beyond the uniform of Mooney's nightclub. To her relief, Oswald wasn't waiting for her, so Jo took a quick shower before standing in front of her wardrobe as she searched for the ideal dress to wear. She didn't want to choose the wrong outfit; especially since this date was really important to her. The colour and the length were equally significant. Red was certainly too alluring for a first date and black was too elegant, too intimidating. Jo smiled as she came across a dark blue dress; recalling how she'd worn it to her 21st birthday party before stowing it away for another special occasion. Well, she deemed her first date with Harvey Bullock to be an event of some significance. Besides, blue was said to be an honest colour. Jo wanted nothing more than to be honest with Harvey, and for him to return this trust.

Slipping into it, Jo stared into the mirror, smiling at the way it hugged her body and trailed down to her knees. Then she did her makeup and allowed her hair to fall down in long waves around her shoulders, before finding a pair of heels to match and heading out the door. However, she stopped at the stairwell for just a second, contemplating whether or not to tell Kitty the good news. They hadn't spoken for about a week and the silence, as much as Jo hated to admit it, was killing her. But then again the chances of Kitty being in her apartment at 6pm were highly unlikely; she'd be out drinking in town by now, so Jo decided to pay her a quick visit after her date instead.

As soon as Harvey saw Jo leave her apartment, he was in awe with how beautiful she looked. Sure, he loved seeing her in lingerie at Mooney's and in her short dresses around the streets of Gotham since they certainly defined her most striking features, but this change in appearance suited her even more so. For the first time, Harvey was going to meet Jo for real.

He must have been staring at his date for too long as Jo started to look concerned. "Is everything okay? I can change if this dress is…"

Harvey looked up and shook his head. "No, you look…great."

Taking that as the detective's way of complimenting her, Jo smiled graciously and headed over to the car. She noted how Harvey was dressed in his usually trenchcoat and fedora, deducing that he couldn't have had the time to change – either that or this was all his wardrobe consisted of. It wasn't a bad thing in her mind though; Jo couldn't imagine any other look on him that suited him as well.

Grinning even more as Jo came closer, Harvey decided that opening the car door for her would be the proper thing to do. While he had been on plenty of dates before, Harvey had rarely had the intention of seeing these girls again after their night together. However, he'd worked hard to earn Jo and he thought it would be an honour if she agreed to a second – that was, if their first official date went well. It had been evident from the start that Jo, while having a strongminded character, had been through a lot beneath the surface so making her feel at ease with him was definitely one of Harvey's main priorities.

As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, Jo linked her arm through Harvey's, causing him to grin. He couldn't remember the last time he'd visited such a grand setting – how much was this going to cost? Jo was actually thinking the same thing as she gazed around them at the magnificent paintings on the wall and the mosaic on the ceiling.

At the same time, Harvey was busy glancing over the other couples in the room; the men were all dressed in their best $500 suits and had showered their dates with roses and chocolates and diamonds, while he'd showed up in his work clothes empty-handed.

"Have you ever been to this place?" Jo asked curiously as they sat down at their table.

Harvey decided to lie in order to impress Jo; he was already about to pay hundreds of dollars for a nice evening so he may as well take it further. "Yeah, a few times. I usually sit on this table actually…" He nodded towards the piano. "It's got a good view of the entire restaurant."

Jo smiled, "it is very nice." She opened the menu. "What would you recommend?"

Harvey decided that the best way to approach the situation was to list items off the menu and hope that they were actually decent dishes. "Ah, well…the piperade is good. And the…" He squinted at the menu, trying to read the meal that probably was the most difficult to pronounce. "Bou…bouillabaisse."

That earned Harvey a small giggle. "You don't have to lie to me. You're not really in your element here, are you?"

"No, I love ratatouille…" Harvey attempted to brush off Jo's suspicions but she was still smiling. "French food is the best, isn't it?"

"You'd rather have a burger though, right?" Jo took his hand from across the table. "Let's ditch this place."

"What? Are you sure?" He blinked in surprise, not just at Jo's words, but the feeling of her soft hand in his.

She nodded and stood up, not letting go of his hand once, even after they had left the restaurant.

In the end, Harvey and Jo found themselves sitting in the park with a burger each.

"This is so good…" Jo insisted after her first bite. "Wow…this sure beats ratatouille."

Harvey grinned as he ate his own burger, watching how delicately his date was treating her food, whereas he hardly gave it a second thought. When they'd finished, the pair of them simply sat on the bench in deep conversation, with Jo's head resting on his shoulder. Unsure of what to do, Harvey used his arm to pull Jo close and she responded by giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I don't know why you put on that hard-ass act. You're a nice guy, Harvey."

"I thought you hated detectives."

"Maybe I don't hate them as much as I thought I did." Jo smiled briefly before the moment passed. She knew that Harvey deserved to know about her past – or at least, some of it. "I was actually engaged to one once."

"You were?" Harvey didn't want to admit it, but he was already jealous.

"I don't know if you remember him, Charlie Faraway. He was killed last year by Falcone's order." Jo didn't know how else to say it: she hadn't talked to anyone about her late fiancé before. While it felt so good to say his name, it hurt to place it beside Don Falcone's.

"Yeah, I remember him." Harvey replied with a nod of his head. Charlie's desk had been two away from his, so they had often engaged in light-hearted conversation across the GCPD; sometimes about sports and sometimes about women. But Harvey would've never imagined that Detective Faraway's fiancée would end up eating burgers on a park bench beside him. Actually, he almost felt like an idiot for not realising it before – it was likely that their paths had crossed when Charlie was alive. "I can't believe I didn't realise it before. How'd you guys meet? Did he catch you in the middle of a jewel heist?" Harvey chuckled until Jo looked shocked; it was as if he'd stumbled upon a huge secret life of hers. "You got arrested? I thought you were a mommy's girl." He grinned.

"I used to shoplift a lot; my dad had just died and we were short on cash. But then it became something more…I loved the rush I got from breaking the law and I got involved with some pretty colourful people. We robbed a jeweller's but I got caught out and Charlie brought me in."

"…And you went out on a fantastic date right? I bet you didn't eat burgers in the park." Harvey tried to make light of the situation but he couldn't help but feel subconsciously jealous.

"No, we went to a shooting range. With his dad." Jo found herself grimacing at the memory. "I wish he'd have bought me a burger in the park instead."

"So you've had an okay time with me?"

"I've had a lovely time. Thank you."

"Does that mean you'd come out with me again?"

"Only if we can go back to that burger joint." Jo laughed and nodded. "I'd like that."

* * *

When Harvey dropped Jo off at her apartment, they were surprised to see the glaring lights of police cars surrounding the block. The two of them got out of the car and Harvey went over to an officer to enquire the details of what had happened.

"The landlady found her dead on the floor. Could've been there for days." Was his brief reply, still filling out the initial report.

"What's her name?" Jo asked quickly, grabbing Harvey's arm tightly due to her nerves. He felt Jo's grasp tightening with every second and wrapped an arm around her as if to calm her; however, there was no need. Harvey nodded, urging the officer to talk.

"Katherine Forster."

Jo had dreaded hers would be the name to escape the officer's lips. She felt as if she couldn't breathe and if it wasn't for Harvey's arm around her, Jo would've likely collapsed on the floor.

"It appears to be an accident. There's no sign of forced entry and we've recovered no prints in the apartment." The officer continued, attempting to offer some consolidation.

Jo fell quiet for a moment; almost sighing in relief at the word 'accident.' If they'd have found even a slight trace of an intruder, Jo would've immediately pointed the finger at Oswald and, ultimately, herself. If Kitty had died by Oswald's hand, Jo knew she was to blame. But how would the authorities know for sure? Jo had been living with Oswald for weeks and had no idea of the people he'd killed – the crime he'd organised right under her nose – so who was to say that this couldn't have been Oswald's doing either. No, even Oswald wasn't capable of murdering a (relatively) innocent woman. What would he possibly gain from doing that?

A body under a white sheet was taken out of the apartment shortly after and Jo desperately tried to get to it, despite Harvey's restraining of her. She screamed tearfully, finally understanding the reality of the situation before falling apart in Harvey's arms. Kitty was under there, her face pale and still. Jo could just picture her friend with her blue eyes wide open and her smile nothing more than a thin line. Still, Jo wanted to see for herself that Kitty was gone. That Kitty was really the young woman lying under a blanket of white. "Harvey, let go of me..!" She shouted, struggling against Harvey.

"It's okay, Jo. It's gonna be okay." Harvey insisted, refusing to release her from his arms.

Oswald had witnessed it all.

He saw the police cars arrive, the way Jo's landlady ran out of the building shouting and waving her arms about like a madwoman. Then he saw Jo get out of the car with another man, and fall into his arms as guilt and grief plagued her. While Oswald didn't get a good look at the man's face, it did confirm one thing: Kitty had been right. Jo really had moved on.

It really hurt him, to see her clinging onto another man. Moreover, it hurt to see Jo in such a state. Oswald did feel terrible about inflicting such pain on the woman he loved but it was for the greater good…wasn't it?

All along, Oswald had hoped that Kitty's sudden passing would force Jo to find comfort in his arms but this notion had completely backfired – instead causing the performer to run to her new beau for a sense of security. Just watching Jo fall to her knees in screams of grief was enough to break his heart. Never mind the fact that she was courting another man.

Even though Oswald knew that Jo deserved better than him, she had always been the reason for him to become a better person – to become _someone_ in Gotham. Protecting Jo had been his sworn purpose since he'd appeared in her apartment and it was a promise he still intended to fulfil. Now Oswald just needed to win back Jo's affection before he lost her for good.

* * *

**A/N**

**Was that an okay chapter? I just love Bullock, he's definitely one of my favourite characters on the show (along****with Oswald and Jerome.) My mum actually bought me the Harvey pop vinyl figure the other day and it made me so happy omg.**

**Okay so the Guest review calling me a nice person actually left me in tears, you're all so sweet, thank you! But don't ever be shy to talk to me okay?**

**Another Guest mentioned Jo's mum Nora just being a bit overbearing, which I agree with completely. There may or may not be a Carnell family secret that could come to light soon though; Nora will still be the sweet ol' coffee shop owner that she is but your perception of her may change slightly. I'm just don't have a clue how I'm going to write it yet.**

**Thanks for reading and to all followers/favourite-rs(?) old and new, I am glad to know you like the fic! **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N**

**Happy Halloween! Since I'm boring I'm staying indoors with Netflix and Tumblr, but if you're planning on going somewhere, or even if you're staying in like me - have a nice time! **

**This chapter is essentially cute stuff, and a build-up to several upcoming dramatic events which are hinted at in this chapter.**

**I'll continue my notes at the end, please enjoy!**

* * *

Harvey woke up in bed besides Jo, who was still wearing her dress from the night before, despite her insistence on taking it off. Well, she wanted Harvey to take it off. While a lot of the night was still a blur, having gone from eating burgers in the park to cradling Jo in his arms while the coroner carted away her best friend, Harvey couldn't forget Jo's erratic behaviour once he had taken her back to his apartment. She had been persistent in her desire to sleep with him and normally the detective wouldn't have had to think twice. Jo was young, sexy and wanted him – those were usually the only factors he needed before going at it with a woman – but on this occasion, he just couldn't. Although Harvey wanted nothing more than to take Jo there and then, he knew it would be taking advantage of her distraught state to do so and, as a result, continued to reject her advances until she fell asleep in his bed.

Watching the young woman sleeping beside him made Harvey think. How had he gone from sparring with Jo to sleeping beside her? And why did he turn down the prospect of sleeping with her when it was what he really wanted?

His first assumption on the matter was that he was more of a gentleman than he thought; however another possibility soon crossed his mind. What if Harvey actually had feelings for Jo?

Most of Harvey's dates had been short-term, one-time arrangements, to be followed by amazing sex and a kiss goodbye. That was it. Only a handful of these women had gone on to be Harvey's girlfriend, but even then they hadn't stayed for long. Despite never thinking of the possibility of a long-term relationship before, Harvey quite liked the idea of spending more time with Jo. Just thinking of her was enough to put a grin on his face.

After a while, Harvey decided to get ready for work – that was, if he decided to go to work. If Jo was in a state of distress when she woke up, Harvey would call in sick and leave Jim to manage on his own for the day. Sure, he was loyal to his partner but he cared too much about Jo to leave her alone.

"Harvey?" A small voice whispered from the bed, causing the detective to turn around and face her. Jo climbed out of the bed and moved to stand in front of him, evidently unsure of what to say.

He hadn't realised it before but Jo was so small without her heeled shoes, she was so young and fragile; although it was rare that Harvey got to see this side to her.

"I'm sorry about last night." She whispered, her head down. "I must've made you feel very uncomfortable and it was wrong of me to impose on your privacy. I really should leave, you've probably got to go to work and…"

Harvey shushed Jo and held her arms. "I'm staying here today and so are you."

"What if Gordon needs you?"

"He'll be fine."

"I'm perfectly okay. I need to go home anyway; I have to help sort through Kitty's things."

"Can't her family do that?"

"Harvey, barely any of the girls at Mooney's have families. I'm just the exception." Jo gave him a sad look. "Well, probably not anymore."

"Whaddya mean? Your mom was singing your praises when we tried to talk to you that time."

Jo smiled sadly. "She came by Mooney's and saw me in fishnet stockings with my ass hanging out of a pair of laced panties, Harvey. I don't think she'll be inviting me for cake and coffee any time soon."

"She'll come around, Jo." Harvey insisted, still resisting the urge to so much as kiss her, considering the bereavement she was going through. Jo was evidently distraught by Kitty's death, even if she refused to show it, so the detective was willing to do anything to cheer her up. "What do you want to do today? I'll take you anywhere you want."

Jo thought hard for a second; it was rare for anyone to ask her such a question so she had to make her request good. "There's an art exhibition tonight at the gallery." She noticed Harvey pull a face at the suggestion. "We don't have to go though, it might not be that great…"

Harvey knew what she was doing but he wasn't going to have any of it. "Jo, if you want to look at some old paintings of the sea and some dames in dresses then I'll take you."

"You're sure?" Jo raised an eyebrow. "We don't have to…"

"I'm sure." He laughed, "it'll be a good excuse for me to see you in a dress again."

"Very funny." She smirked and sat on the edge of the bed. "I thought you liked my dancing attire…"

"Oh, I do." Harvey replied with a grin, joining Jo on the bed. "But I don't feel bad for lookin' at ya when you're dressed up and on my arm."

That made Jo smile and she realised what she wanted from Harvey. She wanted to feel his skin on hers, to know that he cared about her as much as he claimed. For Jo, sex had been an obligation, her career, but she wanted nothing more than to please Harvey; thanking him for his kindness, while showing him that she really, truly fancied him.

Harvey had only been reluctant because of Jo's fragile state of mind. He didn't want it to seem that he was using her to get off but as Jo got onto her knees and began fumbling with the belt buckle on his trousers, Harvey just couldn't resist. This time he couldn't say no to her.

* * *

Oswald couldn't concentrate at work that day. He kept staring at the door in the hopes that Jo would enter and start cleaning the tables, that she'd eventually come over and tell Oswald what had happened to Kitty; crumbling like the precious porcelain doll she was in his arms. She'd beg him to move back in with her and denounce her mysterious new beau for good. If Jo's mother approved of their relationship, then why couldn't Jo herself?

"Hey, Penguin." Don Maroni eventually caught onto Oswald's glumness. "Come over here, talk to me."

Hobbling over to Maroni's table, Oswald purposely took the seat which used to be occupied by Frankie Carbone and stared respectfully at his boss. "What is it, Don Maroni?"

"You don't seem yourself today. What's going on?"

"It's nothing important, sir." Oswald insisted quickly.

"No, I know that look." Don Maroni insisted seriously. "It's the look of a broken guy with a broken heart. Has Charlie been giving you a hard time?" He started to pour Oswald a glass of wine, clearly familiar with such women issues.

"She left me." Oswald found himself admitting, growing deeply saddened at the fact. "I made a mistake and she discarded me for another man."

"Women." Don Maroni let out a cynical chuckle. "They prey on the strong hearted, like you and me. You just have to show them who's in charge. Play their games and they'll be satisfied."

Oswald took a long drink of wine and nodded, understanding where Maroni was coming from; even if he actually held strong distaste for the man.

"You look like you need cheering up, Penguin. I hate to see my guys unhappy." He handed Oswald a pamphlet for an art exhibition. "This was shoved under the door the other day, it seems like your kind of scene. You should go, it might take your mind off Charlie."

With the hint of a smile, Oswald took the advertisement and decided that he'd go; although why he was taking advice from Don Maroni was something that baffled him completely.

* * *

Harvey grinned from the sofa as Jo entered the front room wearing nothing but his white shirt over her slim form. He enjoyed seeing her wearing his clothes just as much as he had relished in seeing her on top of and beneath him in his bed for a good hour or so. "Now there's a sight I thought I'd never see…" Harvey chuckled as Jo sat down beside him, leaning into his warmth. "That shirt looks better on you than it does on me, that's for sure."

"I like you in a shirt and tie, detective. Although I'm excited to see you in a suit tonight." Jo grinned and ruffled Harvey's hair. "I'll even wear my best black dress if you do."

"Well I can't say no to that." Harvey kissed Jo before standing up to change into said formal attire, while Jo started to rummage through the suitcase she'd been forced to pack after Kitty's death prompted the residents of the block to temporarily move out. She'd tucked her black dress at the bottom, along with a few books and some jewellery – along with the diamond necklace that Oswald had bought for her. Guiltily enough, Jo still held the necklace in high regard; recalling how tenderly Oswald had hung it around her neck before they had made love. He had looked at her so lovingly, like she was the most important person in his life, before kissing her. Jo hated that she still remembered Oswald in that way but even she couldn't deny that he'd loved her very much.

"Wow, which jeweller's did you steal that from?" Harvey asked from behind Jo, shrugging his suit jacket over his shoulders. It had evidently been a long time since he had worn it and that it had hardly been worn at all. The fact that Harvey was making an effort for her was almost touching.

"I didn't steal it." Jo said with some pretence of offence. "It was a gift from a friend."

"You've got a pretty generous friend there, Jo."

"I know." Jo smiled quickly before turning her back to Harvey and changing out of his shirt and into her black dress. When she requested that he help with the zipper on her dress, Harvey wasted no time in offering his assistance; although he really just wanted to take off his suit and carry Jo back into the bedroom. No, he was going to resume his gentlemanly ways for the evening instead. Jo deserved to have a nice time after all she'd been through and if it meant resisting the urge to grab her ass or make a crude remark, then that is what the detective would do. Frankly, Harvey was just grateful that Jo had given him the chance, that she was now his girlfriend, and thus would've gone anywhere with her if it meant that he'd be able to have her on his arm for the entire evening.

* * *

"Before the unpleasantness, Thomas promised to provide for her when she needed it. And right now, she needs the money more than ever before she finds herself in trouble with some truly evil people. I'm worried for her and I know that he would've helped if he was alive."

"With all due respect Mrs Carnell, this is the first I'm hearing of this agreement between you and the late Master Wayne. Therefore, how can I be sure that you're telling me the truth?"

"Search his study, his desk drawers. He and I exchanged a few letters before things grew cold between us. I was engaged to Donald and he was courting Martha whom he later married so all contact stopped until I requested that he hire my husband into the business as reparation. Take a glance at the company's payroll, Mr. Pennyworth; I guarantee that Donald's name will be on there, with a higher salary than most of the other employees. There should also be evidence of a series of cheques he made out to me."

"Can you tell me when these payments were made to you, Mrs Carnell?"

"Just over 25 years ago, Mr. Pennyworth. Around the time I gave birth."

Bruce listened to the conversation from just outside the room: he knew he'd have to search through his father's drawers before Alfred did if he wanted to understand exactly what business his family had had with the Carnells. It seemed that there had been a series of unpleasant exchanges between them a few years ago and Bruce was determined to find out what had happened.

* * *

**A/N**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Also thanks to everyone following my tumblr account luciebell-writes!**

**The ending briefly discusses the Carnell family secret I hinted at in my notes last chapter. This side plot will be a bit of a slow-burner and, although some of you may guess it early-on, I'll be dropping a few hints over the chapters to come. Plus I just want Alfred and Bruce to become a part of things because I love their characters.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N**

**Sorry it's been a while guys! This was half-finished weeks ago but I had my exams and other commitments to attend to; then there was the fact that my Gotham writing page on tumblr began swamped with requests too so I've been working through many of those recently. But I'm hoping to go back to updating this around every 2-3 weeks now.**

**To recap, Jo and Harvey are now seeing each other and are heading to an art gallery for an exhibit - but Oswald is also attending. This chapter will see the events of that evening unfold.**

**Please enjoy and thank you!**

* * *

Oswald followed Don Maroni's advice and tried to forget about Jo throughout the evening – but to no avail. He recalled how she loved fine art and literature so being surrounded by something the performer loved very much wasn't exactly a good distraction. All that Oswald could do was wander the halls with a glass of wine in hand, admiring masterpieces both new and old, all while picturing Jo's face in the back of his mind; she would've loved the exhibition and she would've looked so divine on his arm, wearing the diamond necklace that he'd chosen for her.

Jo, however, was perfectly content in wandering each room with her arm linked through Harvey's. While fine art didn't exactly catch the detective's interest, he was satisfied with simply being with Jo for the entire evening; telling her jokes and making her giggle in a hushed tone.

"Look at that, Harvey. Isn't it beautiful..?" Jo whispered, staring in awe at a painting of a beach illuminated by a large orange sunset.

Of course the painting didn't mean much to Harvey, but he enjoyed seeing how such effects pleased Jo – and decided to at least feign curiosity. Although he couldn't resist leaning in close to mutter in her ear, "that's not the only stunning-looking thing in this room…"

With a blush, Jo turned to face her date; unable to contain her amused grin. "You're such a charmer."

"Harvey Bullock, I wasn't expecting to see you here." A female voice was heard and from amidst the crowd, a blonde woman in a lavish dress came forward. Harvey seemed to know her and smiled but, to her dismay, so did Jo. And she equally seemed to remember Jo. "And I certainly didn't think you'd bring a lovely lady with you."

"Barbara, this is Jo Carnell. Jo, Barbara Kean…Jim's fiancée."

"We've already met actually." Barbara said with a smile. "Not formally but…how could I forget?"

Jo forced a smile to mask her dread; Barbara was about to land her in a very difficult position. Harvey had no idea that Jo was running other tasks for Fish, besides her public and private performances, so it was unclear how he'd react to the knowledge that his girlfriend was a hitwoman in training. "About that…I'm really-"

"I wanted to thank you." Barbara interrupted suddenly, before turning to Harvey to elaborate. "She spared Jim's life. Went against her boss' orders to keep me and Jim alive. Jim didn't tell me but I knew that's what you did...Jo."

Despite her surprise, Jo nodded to confirm her half-decent act of kindness before Barbara was satisfied with the conversation and disappeared again to socialise with more…refined people.

"Fish wanted Jim dead?" Harvey asked in a low voice as he and Jo moved on to the next room.

"Fish wants a lot of people dead. Don't think it's anything personal…" Jo whispered, smiling quickly as they passed Barbara.

"Wait, so you're her hitwoman now?"

"No..!" Jo exclaimed quickly. "I took the job to help your partner. Gilzean would've brought him to Fish and stuck his head on a pike with no second thought. I was doing Gordon a favour, I swear."

Frankly, that could have been a lot worse for Jo, yet she knew that everything would be okay so long as they ran into nobody else from her past.

However, that was when Jo met his eyes from across the room. Oswald was smiling almost pitifully at the sight of her; dressed up to the nines and on the arm of another man. Jo quickly grabbed hold of Harvey's arm before he noticed Oswald at the other side of the room. "Hey, could you get me a drink please?"

Harvey chuckled and nodded. "Of course. Don't go anywhere." He kissed Jo's cheek before heading to the bar.

As soon as Harvey was out of sight, Jo pushed through the hordes of socialites to get to Oswald, who greeted her with a smile. "It's so good to see you, Josephina. You know, you look as…pretty as a picture."

"I wasn't expecting to see you here." She said with a slight edge of anxiousness to her voice.

"Nor was I." Oswald nodded towards the bar where Harvey stood laughing with a crowd of people. "Especially not with your secret beau. I'm truly surprised."

Jo quickly took Oswald's arm and pulled him out of the room so that Harvey wouldn't see them together. She couldn't risk losing him after such a short time. "What do you want, Oswald? Have you come here just to spy on me?"

"Oh, on the contrary. I came here to forget about you." Oswald sighed and shook his head. "But it seems I can never escape you, Josephina. You're in my dreams that quickly become nightmares. I think you every time I read Shakespeare and every time I come face-to-face with exquisite art such as these."

A part of Jo wanted to kiss Oswald and latch onto his arm as if nothing had happened. But then she remembered how he'd hurt her, and that she was now with Harvey – a man who would've never laid so much as a finger on her. Sure, he could come across as being a little rough around the edges but Harvey Bullock wasn't a violent man by any means; especially when it came to women. Whereas Oswald could appear gentle on the surface but, underneath his suit and plastered smile, was a ruthless man willing to do anything to become one of Gotham's key players.

Oswald took Jo's hand and intertwined his fingers in hers. "I know that I caused you unimaginable pain and I apologise sincerely for my actions. But I promise to make it up to you, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Shaking her head, Jo pulled her hand away. "You hurt me, Oswald. More than anyone has ever hurt me before. I deserve to be with someone who cares about me."

"I…I care about you..!" Oswald insisted, frowning and balling his hands into tight fists. "I love you, Josephina! You're my greatest passion and—"

"Oswald, just stop. Stop kidding yourself." Jo held her hand up, glancing around to see if anyone was listening in to their conversation. "If you ever cared about me, you would let me go. You'd accept that what you did to me was unspeakable and you'd let me move on and be happy."

"Please, Josephina. I'm begging you to come back to me, before it's too late." Oswald's voice was shaking and it was evident that he was doing his best to maintain his composure. "I would die for you and in this city you require a strong and loyal ally. When I become the King of Gotham, I'll need a Queen and you'll need someone to protect you."

"You know, I'm starting to realise that you need me a lot more than I need you."

"Jo, are you okay?" Harvey came over and handed his girlfriend a glass of wine; all while cautiously watching Oswald with such distaste. He wrapped his arm around her protectively and frowned at the man talking Jo. Maybe Harvey didn't know about Jo and Oswald's connection, but he certainly didn't want such a smarmy man near his girlfriend.

"Good evening, Detective Bullock." Oswald smiled smugly, "I was just complimenting your beautiful girlfriend. She's very lovely indeed."

"I know." He replied quickly, still holding Jo defensively.

Jo met Oswald's eyes; almost pleading with him to walk away, to not ruin her new relationship because of his own pride. However, Oswald just couldn't resist. He wanted Jo all to himself and Harvey was just in the way. "I must say, Josephina. That necklace really does suit you." He winked at the couple before walking away without another word.

"Jo, how do you know him?"

"I don't…" Jo mumbled quickly, still watching Oswald as he headed over to the bar. "Um, well we worked together at Mooney's of course but..." She shrugged, "we never really spoke."

At first, Harvey was willing to accept that explanation but, as the evening progressed, he couldn't help feeling that there was more between them than a simple colleague relationship. Every time Harvey looked up, Oswald seemed to be there, watching him and Jo with a frown.

"Jo, Cobblepot's watching you." He muttered in her ear, causing Jo to turn around and see for herself; Harvey was right of course but Jo didn't want her new boyfriend to realise the truth.

"You're just imagining things, Harvey." Jo smiled reassuringly, as if she would also be able to convince herself that everything was in order. "Hey, look at that painting. It's so amazing…" Jo dragged Harvey away from Oswald's stare in an attempt to ease the tension.

But even so, Harvey couldn't stop thinking about why Oswald was so fixated with his girlfriend. Why the hell would he be so interested in their relationship if they had simply worked together a few months ago? Then Harvey thought back to what Oswald had said, about Jo's necklace.

Before Jo could even realise what was going on, Harvey was storming over to Oswald, where he punched him clean in the face. "You ever come near Jo again and I'll do more than hit you, Cobblepot."

"W-What did I do?" Oswald asked, holding his face, still reeling from the shock.

"I think we both know what you did. Stay away from Jo."

Jo couldn't do anything but watch as what had to have been one of her biggest secrets came to light. Thankfully not a lot of people knew who she was but seeing Harvey realise the truth really hurt. She couldn't bear him knowing the truth about her, about what she'd been up to.

Grabbing Harvey's arm, Jo insisted that it was time to go; although she made sure to let Oswald know how sorry she was before dragging her date out of the building.

Jo immediately hauled a taxi to take her back to Harvey's and she stayed quiet throughout the entire journey. She had to think of what to say in case Harvey asked any personal questions that she wouldn't know how to answer. She had to mentally evaluate the situation before running in head-first and messing everything up. Although as soon as they were alone in private, Jo wasted no time in laying into Harvey for his attempt to fight Oswald. "What the hell was that? You're a cop and they all saw you thump the guy over nothing…have you drank too much?"

"I'm gonna ask you somethin' Jo. And I need an honest answer." Harvey turned to her, for once being entirely serious in what he was saying. "Is Cobblepot the guy?"

"What guy?" Jo asked innocently, unable to throw Oswald under the bus despite everything that he'd done to her.

"C'mon Jo, I'm not an idiot. Just tell me the truth."

"What will knowing the truth achieve? It's all in the past now, what happened to me happened and there's no changing it now." Jo sighed, "it's my fault anyway. I lead people on and play mind games."

"It was him…"

"Harvey, please don't do anything…" Jo begged, grabbing his arm again. "Oswald's just confused. He's had a rough time and he didn't know what he was doing."

"Jo, don't make excuses for—"

"He's sorry, Harvey! He told me he was sorry."

"Sorry doesn't turn back time, Jo." Harvey was both stunned and disgusted that Jo was willing to simply forgive Oswald for such a violent act. "Cobblepot took advantage of you and I won't let that stand!"

"I don't need you to fight my battles! I don't want you to do that."

"You still love him, don't you?" Harvey said suddenly, his voice raised and angry. "After all the shit he's put you through, you'd rather be with him instead of me!"

Jo blinked in surprise at his accusation. She hadn't actually thought about Oswald in that way since the attack but perhaps she did still harbour some feelings for him. Still, she knew running back to him would be the worst mistake she ever made and Jo wanted so survive in Gotham, not throw her life away for a guy she couldn't get out of her head.

"You're being ridiculous, Harvey. I want _you_." Jo insisted, desperately trying to get Harvey to listen.

"But you love him." Harvey reiterated, the alcohol making him more blunt than ever – if that were even possible. "I'm just the rebound guy, aren't I?"

"If you're going to accuse me of something so stupid, then I'm going to go." Jo insisted, her voice breaking as she started to fear that her relationship with Harvey Bullock would be very short-lived.

"Fine. Go." Harvey said casually, taking out a beer from the fridge to demonstrate that he really didn't care what Jo did. To show that he didn't give a damn if she left.

Jo watched as Harvey sat down and turned the TV on; almost pretending that she wasn't there. With a frown, Jo stormed into the bedroom, took her suitcase and left.

Harvey did care about Jo. He didn't really want her to leave and he only said it because he didn't think she actually would walk out in the middle of the night. And maybe the alcohol in his system had had a say in such matters. But what Harvey had said had been plaguing his mind; Jo was essentially too good for him and, although Oswald also didn't deserve her, Harvey had known from the start that he'd mess it all up with Mooney's performer. In his mind, he was always going to ruin everything with them over something so stupid.

Jo felt exactly the same way: she knew that she'd return to her old stupid ways and screw up her changes for a stable and happy relationship. She hadn't planned on walking out so hastily but Jo didn't want to be accused of wanting to get back with Oswald when she really had no intention of doing so. Although there was the dilemma of where she'd go. Jo couldn't go back to her apartment yet, what with it still being thoroughly investigated, and she had no idea where to find the kind forensics guy from the GCPD, so instead Jo was forced to stay with her mother.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N**

**Hi everyone! **

**So this chapter is the buildup before the Carnell family secret comes out, which will lead to Jo completely rethinking everything. Her complete evolution as a character is coming up and I'm so excited for Jo to finally become the independent woman she deserves to be. My past OC's (including Lacey Monroe) have always been relatively sure of who they are from the start, but admittedly Jo is still growing as a person - and she does have a long way to go. So I'm looking forward to her path finally becoming somewhat clearer; although this family secret will act as a catalyst in this transformation.**

**Please enjoy, the next chapter is already half-finished so it shouldn't be more than a week or so before I update again :)**

* * *

"Hey Harvey, where were you yesterday?" Jim asked with apprehension, watching as Harvey threw himself down at his desk without as much as a good morning. "Barbara said she saw you at the gallery with Jo Carnell?"

"You really wanna ask that question?" Harvey groaned; feeling the effects of the large amount of alcohol he'd consumed – particularly after Jo had walked out. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "Everything was goin' great. She slept over at mine the night before and I was actually a gentleman around her! Her friend was dead and I busted my ass resisting the urge to take her right there." Harvey chuckled, "I _waited_ to have sex with her, Jim. I was patient because I gave a damn about her. But it wasn't good enough."

Jim frowned, trying to decipher exactly what it was that his partner was saying. "So you and Jo are…?"

Shrugging, Harvey took a swig of coffee. "I thought we were. I mean, we went at it all afternoon before the gallery thing. Then guess who showed up. Guess who the bastard ex is…" Harvey leaned forward in his chair, lowering his voice. "Oswald Cobblepot."

Of course, Jim had to at least pretend to be surprised at that revelation; it would've definitely made matters worse if Harvey had found out that his partner had been in on the identity of Jo's mysterious ex.

"See, if you'd have just put a bullet in him in the first place, I'd be lying in bed with Jo right now. Thanks partner." Harvey patted Jim's shoulder harshly before deciding that it was already time to take a break.

In all honesty, Harvey hated how his evening with Jo had ended. He didn't know whether they were an item or if she'd stormed out indefinitely. Hell, Harvey didn't even know where she was. Jo could've gone to Oswald or even slept with a complete stranger or maybe she had spent the night on her own on the streets. Harvey hated thinking like that but Jo was unpredictable to say the least. He'd known that from the start; she was reckless and often didn't think things through, but she also loved him. As Harvey finished off his cup of coffee, he thought back to where he'd formally met Jo in the first place; realising where he had to go to find Jo. She'd made it clear that her mother irritated her something rotten but it was evident that Jo would've set aside her pride if it meant putting a roof over her head. Which was what Harvey knew he had to do. He had to put his pride on the shelf and tell Jo exactly how he felt about her.

It wasn't long after this that Oswald himself was brought into the GCPD and locked in a cell – much to Harvey's pleasure. And he made sure to tell Jo's ex that himself.

"At least now I know that Jo didn't go to you last night."

Oswald looked up in shock, his hands grasping the metal bars. "What do you mean, detective?"

Harvey rolled his eyes and frowned at the memory of the night before; how Jo had looked at him before storming out, clearly hurt and angry. "You'll be delighted to know that we argued because of you, Cobblepot. Because Jo clearly cares about you."

"S-She does?" Oswald couldn't wipe the look of astonishment off his face.

"Yeah, but you're gonna stay away from her. Unless you want to stay in a more…permanent cell." Harvey walked closer, staring at Oswald with a grin. "See, I like having you here, so I can sit at my desk and look at you. It's soothing, like a bonsai tree."

As Harvey walked away, Oswald couldn't help but smile. He thought all hope of Jo ever taking him back was futile but, if she and Harvey had argued as he had said, then there was still a chance of them getting back together. Oswald turned to Gabe and smiled. "She still loves me. My Josephina, she really does."

Having already been filled in on Jo and Oswald's past, in confidence of course, Gabe seemed pleased for his boss; although he was also wary to let his friend-of-sorts get too excited with the prospect of Jo taking him back. "I don't see why you gotta get all hung up on her, boss. There are plenty of other girls out there for you."

Oswald shook his head with a pitying smile. "Oh Gabe, you don't know her as well as I do. Josephina is an angel and I intend on winning her back, on atoning for all I did to hurt her."

Don Maroni eventually arrived to return Oswald and Gabe to work. Although he had a few choice words for his employee following Oswald's idiotic mistake down at the docks, Maroni was also curious as to how Oswald's evening at the art exhibition had gone – and if he had successfully been able to supress all thoughts of 'Charlie' from his mind.

Despite knowing how risky it would've been to share such details with Don Maroni, Oswald just couldn't resist talking about how he'd ran into Jo at the very exhibit he'd attended with the intention of getting away from her.

"She was there with her new lover. We talked briefly and it was almost like she still loved me. But her new beau he, um, he hit me." Oswald furrowed his brow at the memory, "Josephina, told me she was sorry…I really believe that she still loves me…"

"Josephina? Oswald listen to me, that woman's playing you. And she's been lying to me from the start…" Don Maroni frowned at that; apparently he hated seeing his workers playing the role of the fool and wouldn't tolerate such negative conduct – despite his own violent career path. Then there was the fact that Jo clearly wasn't who she'd originally claimed to be. "Tell Charlie, or whatever her name is, that she's fired. I won't have her causing you such offence."

While Oswald hadn't initially intended to get Jo fired from her side job, he did see a relatively silver lining to the whole outcome. Don Maroni was aware that Charlie hadn't been a truthful person, or even a real one, so surely she'd have good reason to be somewhat fearful for her safety – regardless of her affiliation with Fish Mooney.

* * *

When Jo left Mooney's nightclub that evening, she really didn't expect to get ambushed by Don Maroni and a few of his men, who cornered her at the end of the darkened street.

"If it isn't Charlie…well, Josephina." He said with disdain, signalling for his men to stand around in an intimidating manner. Maybe Maroni had no intention of harming Jo, but he did at least want to deliver a fitting warning to the troublesome woman.

Jo rolled her eyes, "I'm not in the mood. And so what? People lie about their names all the time…Oswald lied at first and nobody stopped him in the middle of the street at midnight."

"Penguin is a loyal friend. I hoped he was kidding around about your own friendship with Fish Mooney but it seems that he was being as truthful as ever." Don Maroni took a step forward, using his height to intimidate Jo.

"Is Oswald really as loyal as you think?" Jo smirked and tilted her head to the side, pretending to be in deep thought for a moment. "Whatever happened to Frankie? He just…disappeared, didn't he?" She gasped dramatically, "that's right, I remember now! He's dead."

"Frankie isn't dead, he just left to take care of his mother." Don Maroni corrected Jo, watching her with a highly cautious look.

Chuckling, Jo shook her head. "No…I'm pretty sure he's dead. I mean, a guy doesn't bleed that much and survive." Honestly, Jo's aura of confidence was a complete façade; a way to cover up the fear she felt at being cornered in the street by Don Maroni and his men, but it did seem to be working quite well for her. "Ask Penguin if you don't believe me. He _is_ your loyal friend, right?"

With a smile Jo turned on her heels to leave, hoping that Don Maroni wouldn't follow her and see to it that she paid for her lies. Thankfully for Jo, he barely moved or took any action to stop her from walking away; hence why Jo decided to take one last stab at him before she headed home. "I quit, by the way."

"You're already fired." Don Maroni insisted stubbornly, glaring begrudgingly at the young woman.

Jo shrugged in an attempt to act as if it didn't bother her at all. "I'm sure I'll find other work. Ms Mooney loves to keep her employees busy, after all." Then with one last forged smile, Jo turned around and walked out of sight; although she didn't dawdle, being sure to walk away before Don Maroni changed his mind about letting her slip so easily through his fingers, despite her betrayal.

Frankly, Jo couldn't believe that Oswald had told on her like that; especially since she was starting to feel like he was genuinely sorry for all that he'd done to her. That was what had cost her a relationship with Harvey after all, Jo's constant caring over Oswald's wellbeing. Why did she still want to help him after everything he'd put her through?

When she reached her mother's coffee shop, Jo wasted no time in heading up to the flat; desperate for a good night's sleep. However, Nora was standing at the top of the stairs, eager to finally talk to her daughter regarding her surprise return home.

"Where have you been?"

"Work. Jo mumbled, unable to meet her mother's tired eyes. She knew that Nora had been worried for her safety since she'd stumbled across Jo's secret life, and Jo couldn't bear to see her mother so distraught. "Why are you still up?"

"I couldn't sleep. I wanted to be sure that you got home safely."

"Here I am." Jo smiled wryly before she climbed the stairs and slipped past her mother. "You can sleep easy knowing that Maroni didn't put a bullet in my head."

"Don Maroni?" Nora looked appalled, "how are you affiliated with him?"

"It doesn't matter. I screwed up, okay?" Jo unpinned her hair from its tight ponytail, allowing it to cascade around her shoulders. "Just be thankful that I'm alive. One of us has to be."

"Josephina..!"

"No, mom. I'm a train-wreck." Jo laughed disdainfully. "I could've been happy but I don't know how to be. Now I'm going to go to bed. Wake me up if a man with a gun comes looking for me."

Before Jo could head to her room, Nora pointed towards a bouquet of flowers on the table. "A nice man left those for you. Maybe you haven't…'screwed' things up as much as you thought. He wanted me to tell you to call him, said that he was sorry and that you were the best thing to happen to him. I liked Oswald very much but this man seemed just as capable of caring for you." Nora smiled pityingly at Jo who was clearly trying to hold it together. "You're still my daughter, regardless of how you choose to live your life. And I'm going to help you, Josephina. I promise."

Jo wanted to smile and immediately reach for a phone to call Harvey and apologise too, but she just couldn't feel relieved that he still wanted to be with her. Harvey still harbouring feelings for Jo just made her life so much more complicated than it needed to be. Jo didn't feel like talking to anyone, she just wanted to enjoy the calm before the storm. For the first time ever, Jo was finally realising that living a double life just wasn't working out for her; that she couldn't be both Nora's daughter and Fish's girl. Jo would soon be forced to choose her own path, which would ultimate determine her future, but this day would come far sooner than she would've ever thought.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N**

**This chapter is pretty much centred around one thing but its events are essentially the catalyst for what is to come.**

**Jo's character will officially undergo a significant change after this, and I hope you're all okay with the direction that I've decided to take this in. It's partially because I needed an event to tip Jo over the edge, but also because this will introduce other key Gotham characters which I really want to become involved in the events to follow. **

**Thanks for reading, hopefully you all enjoy!**

* * *

Jo woke up abruptly and found that she was safe in her old room, safe in her mother's apartment. Since Kitty's death, Jo had been finding it incredibly difficult to sleep; often waking in the middle of the night because of vivid nightmares - in which Oswald was always there. Sometimes, he'd chase he with the same old insistence that they were meant to be together, but in most of her dreams Oswald took on the role of the hero; protecting her from such notable figures as Maroni and Don Falcone. It sounded ridiculous but Jo wondered if her dreams were a sign of what was to come; as opposed to some silly conjuring of her subconscious. But those thoughts were just that: they were stupid and irrelevant.

Sighing, Jo rolled over to check the time on the clock. It had just turned 2pm.

Since she'd turned up in her mother's apartment above the café in the late hours, Jo had been able to avoid getting questioned too harshly by Nora. Of course she knew that her mother would be eager to know exactly what had driven Jo to turn to her last resort living arrangements but, being the afternoon, the coffee shop was open – thus saving Jo from interrogation for a little longer. If there was one thing Jo couldn't bring herself to do, it was to explain to Nora how messed up her love life was. Hell, even she couldn't comprehend what was going on around her. Jo loved Harvey, she really did, but Oswald was so exciting. He was a kindred spirit, despite his unstable nature, and Jo couldn't forget about the good times they'd shared. Still, she wasn't going to be a doormat.

Jo climbed out of bed and paced over to the cupboard in search of something strong to drink. Nothing. Nora had completely flushed all alcohol out of the apartment. Rubbing her temples, Jo headed downstairs in her dressing gown in search of any form of alcohol. Even though the café specialised in coffee, Jo would've guaranteed that there was a bottle of whiskey or something hidden in the storage cupboard; recalling that at least 2 members of the kitchen staff had a tendency to sneak off back there for long periods of time.

However, her attention trailed off to the sound of her mother partaking in what sounded like a heated exchange with a British-sounding man. It was impossible not to hear what was being said; the coffee shop had evidently been closed so that Nora could meet with the man in the other room so their voices carried through to the kitchen. Then there was the fact that Jo had always been a shameless eavesdropper.

"You were blackmailing Master Wayne."

"I was not blackmailing him!" Nora insisted. "I just wanted some reparation for that drunken mistake. Thomas was a rich man, he could afford to spare a few thousand to pay for our daughter's nursery school and college tuition."

"Shall I read your letters, Ms Carnell?" The man took out a selection of papers and glanced over them with distaste. "_I would hate to tell your girlfriend about our daughter, hence why I urge you to agree to my requests before I'm forced to do something that I really don't want to do." _

Jo couldn't believe what she was hearing. Maybe she wasn't the smartest of people but it didn't take a genius to realise what – or rather who – the subject of that letter had been. Meaning that Jo's biological father was Thomas Wayne and not Donald, who had doted dearly on her all throughout her life. She felt sick to her stomach, sick and heartbroken.

"Everything I've done has been for my daughter, Mr Pennyworth. Thomas Wayne's daughter." Nora said, her voice bearing a seriousness that Jo had never heard before. It unnerved her to say the least. Her mother had always insisted on treating everyone with a smile and polite tone, yet she was now angry and desperate. Then Nora had also proven that she was capable of lying through said smile for 25 years. "She's in trouble and if I could just have a couple thousand dollars…"

Jo couldn't take anymore and she stepped out of the kitchen, unable to hide how distraught she felt at hearing the truth. "How could you."

Nora turned around quickly and her expression dropped to one of mortification when she laid eyes on her daughter; realising that Jo had heard everything. That she finally knew the truth.

"Josephina, sweetheart…I…"Nora was evidently desperate to think of a way to explain her situation; she needed a way out of that predicament. "This is Alfred Pennyworth, he believes that you might be entitled to some money, isn't that right?" She smiled at Alfred, who frowned and shook his head at Nora's audacity.

"Don't change the subject." Jo snapped, quickly glancing at Alfred. "How could you do that to dad? To me?" Jo stepped forward, eyeing her mother carefully. "You cheated on dad so you could dip your hands into that Wayne guy's pockets…"

"Sweetheart, please just hear me out." Nora stood up, "I loved your father. It was a mistake."

"Did she tell you why she wants the money?" Jo turned to Alfred with a bitter expression to mask the true pain she was feeling. "I've turned to a life of crime and prostitution...but money can't fix that."

Alfred's expression dropped to one of deep seriousness; clearly Nora had been very secretive about her daughter and the motive behind her desperation and now the Wayne family butler could see why. And Alfred knew that he had to see to it that this truth never got brought to light. It was bad enough that Thomas Wayne had fathered a secret child, but the fact that she was someone of ill repute was completely scandalous. Then there was Bruce to think about.

"Don't listen to her, Alfred. My daughter has a…very wild imagination."

"Was I just a living, breathing paycheque to you, mom?" Jo asked, her eyes tearing up as she felt herself unable to hold back. "I've done some bad things but I would never use a child as a bargaining chip."

Alfred stood up hastily, understanding that things were about to get heated between the two Carnell women. He had no right to impose in their private affairs, nor did he care to get any more involved with Nora and her mindless scheming. "Right, well I'll be off then."

"Can't say I blame you." Jo said quickly. "If I weren't homeless, I'd leave too."

"Mr. Pennyworth…you have to understand that these secrets have a habit of exposing themselves…" Nora said, even if it was obvious that she didn't want to let such scandal loose, she was just desperate. "What would Thomas' son say?"

Alfred knew that Bruce, while initially angry with his dad, would adjust to the idea with a desire to meet his half-sister. Naturally, the butler didn't want to see that happen; it would put Bruce in serious danger to affiliate with a family like the Carnells – especially with a young woman who was apparently in serious trouble, as Nora had put it. Besides, for Nora to be as desperate as she was, Jo had to have been in a lot of trouble. Hence why Alfred would've gone to extreme lengths to protect Bruce from this truth.

"Master Bruce cannot get involved in this. Even you don't have the heart to ruin his lasting impression of his father, Nora." Alfred turned to Jo with a serious expression. "He doesn't need to know the truth. You shan't tell him either."

"Why would I tell him? I don't want anything to do with the boy who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, while I was standing at a bar listening to every sleazy guy's story." Jo looked from Alfred to her mother. "As far as I'm concerned, I have no family."

While Alfred left to return to Wayne Manor, only somewhat convinced that Nora would keep her secret to herself, the coffee shop owner was forced to have a talk with her daughter about the sad truth. If Jo was ever going to forgive Nora, she'd have to know everything.

"It only happened once…" Nora said quietly, not daring to make eye contact. "I used to work at Wayne Manor when your father and I first got married…there was a—"

"You slept with Thomas Wayne behind your husband's back, that's the basic gist of things."

"When I found out I was pregnant, I was scared because people would talk about Thomas and I; I was married and he was engaged so of course there was no easy solution. However I saw a silver lining and I just couldn't help myself." Nora sighed and rested her head in her hands. "Thomas agreed to help at first. He agreed to hire your father at Wayne Enterprises and helped to pay our bills. I bought this place with the money so I'd have a reason to leave Wayne Manor. When you were born, he still tried to help but it was never enough."

"Did he ever meet me?" Jo asked, still unsure of what to think. Of how to feel.

"I brought you to Wayne Enterprises once or twice, and we went to a few of their parties. Thomas wanted to talk to you but he couldn't risk the scandal. Then we started to argue because I wanted more and he became less willing to provide for us." Nora's bottom lip began to tremble. "It was around that time that Donald found the letters."

Jo glanced up, beyond surprised to hear that her father had known that she wasn't biologically his daughter, yet he had still raised her as such. In fact, she vaguely remembered Donald going into her room one night with a sad disposition. He'd sat on the edge of her bed and promised to love her always, because she was his girl. At the time, Jo had simply thought that her dad was being his typically over-emotional self but now, maybe there was some underlying meaning behind that.

"Donald confronted Thomas at a gala and he was fired. We were slowly falling into poverty and there was nothing I could do about it. And when your father was killed, I…" Nora couldn't help but cry. "I'm so sorry Josephina. But your father loved you, and what I did was necessary in order to keep our heads above water…" She reached out her hand across the table but Jo yanked her own hand away and stood up, keeping her face hidden from her mother.

"I…I need some space."

"Josephina, please…" Nora stood up, desperate for a chance to explain her motives. She needed Jo to believe and forgive her. To understand that everything she'd done, she'd done it out of love.

"I can't do this." Jo shook her head before grabbing her jacket and heading for the door. "I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry."

Nora didn't understand why Jo had apologised before walking out, but Jo had said it because her mind had been made up. In the moment that Jo's whole life had changed, something within her had snapped, along with the realisation that she barely knew herself – let alone those around her.

Jo went straight to Fish. Still shaken from the revelation of her secret parentage, Jo wasn't thinking straight yet she was certain that she was ready to take action. Her anger had manifested itself into a true desire for power, Jo wanted to be the one causing the pain instead of constantly receiving it. She was tired of being hurt and heartbroken by people who should have protected her from such pain

Of course Fish welcomed her girl with open arms; pouring Jo a glass of wine as she poured her own heart out to her boss. Although she didn't tell Fish who her biological father was, Jo didn't spare any other detail about her money-grubbing mother, the failed romances with men who remained anonymous (for their sakes and hers) and most of all, Jo's unwillingness to take any more of the bad hands that the city of Gotham was constantly giving to her.

"I'm ready, Ms. Mooney." Jo said with a determined disposition; she had never been more serious about anything before. "I want to help you take this city. I'm willing to do anything and everything to get Falcone and Maroni out of the way. I just need a purpose, and you're the only person who can give me that now."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N**

**It's taken me so long to update this and I'm sorry.**

**Admittedly, there are many things in this that I'm starting to regret but I'm trying my best to turn this all around for the better. I've actually gone back and tweaked a few chapters, including chapter 17 where Oswald took advantage of Jo to make it somewhat less sinister because I just felt so bad about wrecking the ship like that.**

**Hopefully you're all still enjoying reading this though! A few things are yet to come but it's just a matter of me being in the right mindset haha.**

**Anyway, please enjoy! :)**

* * *

"You're such a beautiful girl, Jo." Fish said with a smile as she finished curling Jo's hair into long and elegant waves for the first stage of her plan. Truthfully, while Jo had always made sure to look her best, she had never thought of herself as a beautiful person – after all, a person with so many demons could never be truly beautiful, right? But Fish had turned Jo into a person that she almost didn't recognise. Someone seductive, yet highly powerful.

"When that Penguin sees you like this, you'll have him in the palm of your hand." Fish smiled proudly and cupped Jo's face in her hands. "Jo darling, I know you'll do a magnificent job."

"What if it doesn't work? He might see straight through me…" Of course Jo couldn't tell Fish why she feared Oswald's rejection – because of their past relationship – so the dancer had to lie instead. "He probably doesn't even like me in that way…"

Fish let out an amused laugh at Jo's comment. "Oh dear, I assure you that he likes you very much." She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to help me take that bitch down? Especially after he got you fired from Bamonte's…"

Jo nodded quickly, still feeling somewhat guilty over Don Maroni's firing of her. "I'm really sorry about that, Ms. Mooney…"

"Then make it up to me, darling." Fish lowered her voice. "Honestly, you're the only other lady in this building that I trust. Liza has proven to be quite disappointing…hopefully you can restore my faith in my girls…"

Inwardly, Jo revelled in Fish's words: Liza was no longer a threat to her ever-growing position within Fish Mooney's inner circle – handing the spotlight over to Jo to make Fish victorious.

While Jo was used to putting on a show and using her charm to indirectly seduce the men who came to Mooney's nightclub, she felt really nervous at the thought of luring Oswald in, before Fish could end his rise to power once and for all. However, that was when she noticed a half-empty bottle of vodka hidden under the dresser – which Jo wasted no time in consuming in order to make the evening seem a little more pleasant.

* * *

Naturally, by the time Oswald arrived at Mooney's, Jo was somewhat tipsy.

Oswald felt his heart race as he took a seat in front of the stage, cautiously picking up the glass of wine as Jo started her song; her voice as low and sultry as ever. Fish had told Oswald that she had a present for him, maybe this was it. Jo was his consolation gift, and he couldn't be happier with that.

_"I put a spell on you_

_'Cause you're mine_

_You better stop the things you do_

_I ain't lyin'_

_No I ain't lyin'..."_

Jo headed over to Oswald's table with a deep red smile in place, he felt a lump in his throat, feeling nervous at being so close to the woman he thought he'd lost for good. Wanting to be sure that this was real, Oswald reached out a hand to touch Jo's arm; smiling to himself when he felt her there. She was real, real and wanted him. While Oswald knew that he should've been cautious; Fish wasn't known for her ability to forgive and forget and there was the chance that Jo was acting upon orders, he just couldn't resist Jo. Oswald had never been able to resist her beauty and charm, and that evening would be no exception.

But still, Oswald felt incredibly awful for the pain he'd put Jo through.

"Josephina…I…I must express my deep shame at all—"

Smiling, Jo pressed her index finger against Oswald's lips, shushing him quiet. "It's alright, Ozzy. I forgive you…"

Whether it was because Jo was slightly tipsy, or because she wanted to play the role of Oswald's partner to a believable degree, Jo knew that she needed to be as kind and alluring as possible, should she make Fish proud. Which was why Jo carried out her part perhaps a little too well.

* * *

The next morning, Jo found herself in an unfamiliar room. She immediately knew that she wasn't at home or even in one of the rooms at Mooney's from the thick sheets on the bed and the musky kind of smell that filled the room. Rolling over on her side, Jo was almost mortified to find Oswald in bed beside her.

How much did she drink last night?

However, Jo was somewhat pleasantly surprised to find that she was still clothed, kind of. Her outfit of seduction had been replaced by some kind of white linen nightdress…was this? Jo felt sick as she realised exactly where she was. In Oswald's mother's home.

Oswald felt Jo stirring beside him and rose from the bed. "Good morning Josephina." He smiled warmly at her, yet he frowned when he noticed the troubled expression on Jo's face. "What's the matter? Are you cold?"

Jo sighed and shook her head, smiling as if to fool Oswald and herself into believing that she was okay. "I'm fine. I-Is this…your mother's?" She gestured towards the nightdress she was wearing, hiding her grimace.

"Well, of course. I wanted you to be comfortable…"

Despite her discomfort at wearing Oswald's mother's clothes, Jo forced a grateful smile. Then she glanced down at Oswald, who was wearing his pyjamas – it felt oddly like a sleepover, as opposed to the morning after. Which begged the question.

"Oswald…" Jo started, rummaging around the room for her undergarments. "Did we…did we have sex last night?"

Oswald looked at Jo in shock, as if she'd asked the most absurd question. He almost seemed offended that she'd assumed as much. "No, no we didn't make love last night, my dear. You could hardly stand and I…I'm not that man. Not anymore, never again."

Jo nodded, still feigning a smile despite the hangover that was now plaguing her head. "Okay, thank you…for not pouncing on me."

The door suddenly opened and there stood an elderly woman with a displeased expression. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was Oswald's mother. "Oswald, I've washed your hussy's clothes. Tell her she can keep my nightdress…I hate to think where she's been…"

Jo didn't know whether to be offended or amused by Gertrude's bold assumption of her; in the end, she couldn't help but laugh. "If it's any consolation, this is by far one of the nicest places I've woken up in."

"Oswald, darling…I'm making breakfast so say goodbye to…her." Gertrude glanced Jo up and down with a look of disdain.

If Jo wasn't supposed to be on her best behaviour, she would've had a few choice words for Gertrude; however, Fish Mooney's success depended on it and so Jo bit her tongue. Even when Oswald climbed out of the bed to stand beside her.

"Mom, I'd like it if Josephina could stay for breakfast…" Oswald said firmly, holding Jo's hand as if to prove their love to his mother. "Please mom?"

"Oswald, it's fine. I don't want to intrude." Jo glanced at Gertrude and noticed that her disapproving frown hadn't altered in the slightest. "I'll just take my dress and leave."

"No you won't." Oswald smiled and gave Jo's hand a light squeeze. "You're to join us for breakfast, I insist." He looked from Jo to his mother with a firm expression. Gertrude found herself unable to refuse Oswald's bold request, as did Jo; who soon found herself sitting at the table with the Cobblepots for what appeared to be their traditional breakfast routine.

"Josephina, how long have you worked as a singer?" Gertrude asked somewhat frustrated; eyeing Jo carefully, despite her attempt to make conversation for her son's sake. "Oswald tells me that you're very talented."

Well, Oswald clearly hadn't dared to tell his mother of Jo's other work tasks. Gertrude would've thrown Jo out without a second thought should she have found out about the true nature of Jo's work. If it wasn't for the fact that Fish needed Jo on her best behaviour in order to hit Oswald where it hurt, she might have considered sharing such…inappropriate information with Oswald's critical mother – if only to see the priceless look of absolute disgust on her face.

"Not long." Jo replied shortly, warming her hands on the coffee cup in front of her. "Definitely not long enough to be called 'talented.'"

"Don't be so modest, Josephina. You've got the voice of an angel." Oswald beamed at Jo and Gertrude recognised the look of admiration on her son's face; knowing that he genuinely cared about his new girlfriend. Which did concern his mother deeply.

"You've thought about marriage, I presume?" Gertrude asked with apprehension; looking from Oswald to her potential daughter-in-law.

"Yes, of course." Oswald said with a certain smile.

"Not really." Jo corrected Oswald, feeling panicked by Oswald's response to the question. "I don't want to get married to anyone any time soon." She glared sharply in Oswald's direction; evidently annoyed that he regarded their relationship to be stronger than it actually was. Yet, at the same time, it made Jo feel somewhat guilty for stringing Oswald along in the way that she was; knowing that he still harboured such strong feelings for her. "…We should just enjoy what we have, right?"

"What about children, my grandchildren?" Gertrude seemed to be full of questions; whether she was asking them due to curiosity or with the intention of scaring Jo away still seemed very unclear.

"I don't want kids." Oswald and Gertrude turned to stare shocked at Jo in unison; evidently family values were a lot more important to them than they were to Jo. "I'm not ruining my body so some brat can take everything I have for 18 years before ditching me." It sounded harsh but she wasn't going to lie.

"Well, my Oswald has never left me…"

Jo snorted at that. "Yeah, and it shows."

"Perhaps your warped view on children wouldn't exist if your mother had raised you properly." Gertrude bit back, clearly offended by Jo's boldness. "You're nothing but a whore, I don't trust you at all."

Since the subject of her mother was still a touchy subject for Jo, and because Gertrude's defensive statement had hit her hard, she stood up quickly to leave. "Thanks for breakfast, and the bed. I have to go."

Oswald shot his mother a glare from across the table before he followed Jo out into the hallway; making his way down the stairs as quickly as he could manage, desperate to not lose her again.

"Josephina, please wait..!" Oswald called after her as Jo fumbled around with the main door.

"I've heard of high security but this is a bit much…" Jo kicked the door in frustration when it didn't open, standing with her back to Oswald so that he couldn't see her trembling lip, or the tear that fell down her cheek.

"You don't have to leave just yet. Please forgive my mom, she can sometimes pry a little too much…but it's only because she cares about me." Oswald tried to explain, watching helplessly as Jo continued to grab the door handle desperately. "Is something the matter? I hope she didn't offend you." Oswald furrowed his brow when Jo didn't say a word, nor did she turn around to face him. "Please, tell me what's upsetting you, Josephina."

Inhaling deeply, Jo managed to compose herself enough to look Oswald in the eye with a sweet and somewhat convincing smile. "Nothing is upsetting me. I've got my sweet guy back, how could I possibly feel sad?"

"Josephina," Oswald smiled fondly at Jo, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know you. I know that something is troubling you…"

Jo knew that she couldn't vulnerable in front of the man she was being paid to seduce. It was too risky for Oswald to see that side of her – but what had she told him the truth while in her intoxicated state the night before? What if she'd let it slip that she was somewhat connected to the Wayne family? Oswald had never been good at keeping secrets so what if he used such knowledge to his advantage? No, if he loved her as much as he claimed, Oswald wouldn't say a word on the matter.

But still, if Jo was taking on such a…tedious job for Fish, she would at least use the situation to her own advantage. She really respected Fish but, well, there was someone in the clique who Jo really didn't like – for no reason at all. Although Jo instantly regretted it afterwards, she couldn't help but use a different reason to explain her unhappiness. "There's this girl called Liza at work..."

Now, Jo hated throwing the seemingly innocent young girl under the bus but she really was in the way. Jo needed Fish to put all her faith in her – and only her. Liza was fierce competition and Jo hated the fact Fish had always seemed to favour her over the performer; it was only recently that Jo's loyalty was finally being established in Fish's eyes after all. And she'd waited too long to have it all taken away. Should Liza succeed in her own task, then Jo would ultimately fade back into the background.

Still, Oswald seemed to appreciate all the information Jo shared with him about Fish's spy-of-sorts. Naturally he'd be paying Falcone a visit to relay the details of Liza's betrayal.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N**

**Hi all!**

**Last chapter saw Jo and Oswald somewhat rekindling their relationship although she also decided to namedrop Liza to him. This chapter carries on almost straight from that so there will be consequences for her snitching..**

**Please enjoy and review if you have the time :)**

* * *

Despite what she'd told Oswald that morning, Jo never expected her words to have such vicious consequences – on the evening after that fateful morning no less.

Jo and the other girls were standing outside the club; gossiping amongst themselves while wondering why Fish had yet to open. She'd never kept them locked out before, nor had the club been so quiet. It was almost eerie; they couldn't hear the music inside, nor was there any sign of Fish's usual doormen. Everyone seemed to have just…left.

Then, just as the performers intended on leaving, a tall man came to the door and Jo suddenly felt a strong pang of dread. She instantly recognised the man as one of Oswald's loyal supporters, Gabe she believed his name was, and he was able to inwardly identify her as the woman Oswald was devoted to.

"The boss says to come through." Gabe instructed them as he led the women into the club and to where Oswald sat – in Fish's usual seat – with a bottle of champagne and a smug smile in place. Mooney's performers were told to stand in a row in front of Oswald's table so that he could speak to them all regarding the changes.

"Good evening." Oswald beamed proudly, glancing over each girl until his gaze fell upon Jo; softening at the sight of her, as beautiful as ever. "As you may have already guessed, Fish is gone. This club has been handed over to me by Don Falcone himself; therefore you must all be respectful and accept his decision."

Frankly, the girls knew that it was pointless to argue with Oswald; especially if these had been Don Falcone's orders. They didn't want to make an enemy of him – or their new boss for that matter. Jo, on the other hand, had little fear of offending Oswald; so as long as he had a say, her life was safe.

"So Fish…she's not coming back?" Jo asked the question that all the performers were desperate to have answered. "What happened?"

Oswald chuckled at her boldness. "Oh, Josephina…I'd hate to upset you with the details. Let's just say that Fish…has been taken care of. She really offended Don Falcone with her scheming." Then he smiled gleefully at her. "Liza is dead." Oswald threw Jo a wink; it was as if he was expecting her to become overjoyed by the news of her competitor's decease. But frankly, Jo was too shocked to respond. Her mentor had been removed from the equation and her on-again-off-again boyfriend had taken over…it was a lot to take in. Especially since her stirring the pot had essentially killed Liza.

Remembering that there were still 5 other dancers standing before him, Oswald let out a laugh. "Forgive me, you're all probably wondering where this leaves all of you." He paused, glancing over every one of them before waving his hand dismissively. "You're all fired; I intend to run this establishment differently. If you leave now, I'll happily provide you with a decent reference."

Jo frowned at Oswald, "how else are we supposed to pay the rent?"

"Don't worry, my dear. I'm not firing you. You're getting a promotion." Oswald cooed, watching as all the other dancers left; although not before glaring at Jo because of her 'privilege.'

"Told you he had a thing for you…" Angel muttered in Jo's ear before turning on her heels to follow the other girls out of the building; not even bothering to look back.

With a wave of his hand, Oswald beckoned Jo over to the table and she perched herself on the edge of it. "Now those insufferable women are gone…I can finally be honest with you, my dear little dove."

Jo feigned a smile, interested in what Oswald had to say. After all, there had to be an interesting story behind the absence of Fish and Butch.

"Fish is gone for good. And Liza truly is dead for the offence she caused Falcone; although I told him the truth for you too. I hated how upset she made you yesterday." Oswald frowned bitterly for a moment, before taking Jo's hand in his and placing a soft kiss on the skin. "I promised to protect you all that time ago, Josephina. Now I can do exactly that. You just need to trust me."

Regardless of what had happened to Mooney, her sort-of boyfriend did own the club now. That made him so much more desirable, as selfish and shallow as that sounded. Although, honestly, Jo had already envisioned herself betraying all her principals and going back to Oswald – she just felt so unusually bound to him. They did have a lot in common after all; they were both ambitious and had been challenged by the harsh city on several occasions now. Maybe it was love, or maybe it was just…desire, some ambitious craving within her. But either way, Jo wanted to be with Oswald; although not nearly as much as he wanted her to be his girl.

"About my promotion…" Jo began, glancing around the room, still unable to comprehend the fact that Mooney had lost the club to her old umbrella boy. "What will you have me do?"

Oswald furrowed his brow momentarily, before a soft smile pricked his lips upwards. "None of those degrading acts that Fish had you complete I assure you, my dear dove. Just singing, you have a gift after all."

Jo blushed at that and shook her head in denial. However Oswald was quick to hoist his girl up from her seat, eagerly hobbling over towards the piano; patting the empty space beside him. "Join me, Josephina."

Despite herself, even with the lingering guilt at all the pain she'd caused by revealing Liza to Oswald, Jo found herself smiling at Oswald's behaviour. Sure, he may have been nothing more than a cunning sycophant but, well, perhaps Jo needed someone with the ability to guarantee her safety. Especially now that it seemed Fish was out of the race.

Oswald played a couple of notes on the piano, almost drawing Jo over to him with the way in which his fingers glided over the keys. "Do you know this song?" He asked curiously as Jo sat down beside him on the bench; shoulder to shoulder next to her 'once again' lover.

Her green eyes fell upon Oswald's hands as he skilfully played the song, perfectly in time and in key. "It's Nuvole Bianche…" She whispered, becoming almost transfixed by the perfect melody.

"That's correct. You have quite the ear Josephina, and an exquisite taste in fine music." Oswald replied, although his eyes never left the ivory keys; focusing on executing every note to perfection for Jo's entertainment. Neither of them had smiled like that in one another's presence for a very long time. And it did warm Oswald's heart to see Jo smile at him like she used to while she listened to the song; her feelings were genuine and true, like they once had been.

That was why, using a hand to brush her hair to the side, Oswald placed a delicate kiss on Jo's lips, all while his thumb gently caressed her cheek. To her own surprise, Jo found herself enjoying their moment of intimacy. Nowadays it was rare for the young woman to find tranquillity anywhere but, right there by the piano with Oswald, she felt at peace. The safest she had done in a long while – which was almost ironic.

"Can I interest you in a drink?" Oswald asked, rising from the piano and holding out his hand for Jo to take – which she did with little hesitation – allowing Oswald to lead her down from the stage and over to Fish's table, where he poured two glasses of champagne. "Might I propose a toast?"

Bringing the glass to her lips, Jo nodded; although she felt slightly intoxicated already from her kiss with Oswald. The very fact that they might end up officially together made her head spin, but it wasn't necessarily a bad kind of tipsy.

"After my unforgiveable behaviour towards you, I never expected for you to find it in your heart to forgive me…I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd cast me out forever. But…" Jo could've sworn that she noticed a slight tearful glaze over his blue eyes and she just couldn't ignore his heartfelt words. Oswald inhaled deeply as he composed himself, desperate to get everything off his chest. "You're the most beautiful, kind-hearted person that I've ever met. I…I'm in love with you…" Oswald laughed slightly as a few tears pricked his eyes. Quickly, as if to mask his emotions, Oswald held up his champagne glass. "To us, to love."

Jo began to chew her lip anxiously; feeling both touched by Oswald's words but also guilty. Because she was only really sat there with him because Fish had ordered her to seduce him. But was that really the case? Surely Jo could've left with Angel and the other performers if she'd really wanted to – if there really was no part of her that still harboured feelings for her old love. Feigning a smile, Jo clinked her glass against Oswald before taking a long drink from it; her mind still plagued with questions regarding the authenticity of her feelings. Surely she wasn't so much of a hopeless romantic…right?

"Hey Boss…your mom's waiting outside…" Came Gabe's voice from the doorway; he smiled when he noticed how close Jo and Oswald were sat together, realising that they were in fact back together. "Should I bring her in?"

"Oh, yes of course!" Oswald stood up from the chair and hobbled towards the door to meet his mother.

As Oswald left the room, Gabe walked closer to Jo, towering over her chair. "You and the boss are back on?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Jo replied quickly, furrowing her brow as she heard Gertrude's joyful exclamations in the hallway. "Why did you bring that infuriating woman?"

"The boss is holding a party to celebrate." Gabe explained as Jo finished off the rest of her champagne. "His mother is very important to him."

Jo barely stifled a laugh at that. "Yeah, I know…"

"It's so beautiful…!" Gertrude chuckled giddily, walking towards the stage with Oswald; although she frowned slightly upon seeing Jo sat at the table.

"Take a seat, mother." Oswald gestured towards the chair next to Jo; evidently eager to see his mother and partner on good terms. As Gertrude sat down, Oswald threw Jo a pleading look in the hopes that she'd be on her best behaviour.

Oswald joined them in an attempt to act like the mediator, to keep the peace between the two women in his life. "What do you think, mother?"

"It's like an opera house…" Gertrude beamed proudly at her son as Gabe filled their glasses with more champagne. "The perfect place for a party."

As Gertrude continued to praise her son on his achievements, all while disregarding Jo's presence at the table, the young woman in question began to grow bored – and Oswald noticed.

"We should invite your mother, Josephina." Oswald suggested with a smile, recognising a distant look on her face as she quickly drank the champagne as if there was a limited supply.

"We really shouldn't." Jo retorted, waving Gabe over with another bottle of champagne.

"Josephina…perhaps you've had a bit too much…" Oswald's tone was soft as he shook his head at Gabe before he could pour his boss' girlfriend yet another drink. "Would you care to lie down?"

"Maybe I will…" Jo sighed as she stood up from the chair; allowing Gabe, upon Oswald's instruction of course, to take hold of her arm to steady her balance.

However, she leaned down to place a kiss on Oswald's lips before she was taken to bed. Oswald smiled into the kiss, his thumb brushing against Jo's soft cheek as if to savour the moment. Even though she was drunk, Jo was still his gorgeous girl and he felt intoxicated from the kiss alone.

Gabe led Jo into the nearest bedroom, where she flopped backwards onto the bed. "Can I get you anything, Miss Carnell?"

"No thanks, Gabe." She buried her head in the soft pillow, a content smile on her face as she closed her eyes.

Whether it was because of the champagne in her system, or the fact that Oswald really was trying to make things right between them, Jo settled down to sleep quicker than she had done in a very long time. Somehow she felt safe knowing that Oswald and his men were downstairs - which Jo never thought she'd be able to say - especially in one of the rooms at Mooney's nightclub, considering their old purpose. Somehow Jo had a feeling that everything was about to work out for the better.

* * *

However, Jo soon awoke to the sound of a gunshot. Slipping down the stairs, still practically asleep, she soon noticed Butch and Fish running her way from the main room. "What's going on, Ms Mooney?" Jo asked in a hushed tone, still feeling slightly out of it from the large amount of champagne she'd consumed.

"We've got to get out of here, Jo." Butch insisted somewhat breathlessly. "Is the back door unlocked? Or can we...?"

Jo nodded hurriedly and waved for the two to follow her into the backroom. "Try the window over there." She pointed in its direction. "I'll…I don't know, I'll distract them."

Fish smiled and cupped Jo's face in her hands, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Although she was unsure where Jo had come from, or why she'd even been in the nightclub in the first place, Fish was too panicked to dwell on such insignificant facts. She just felt gratified to know that Jo's loyalty was unwavering. "You're a good girl, Jo. I'll come back for you, I promise."

Feigning a smile, Jo hurried back down the corridor, where she came face to face with a man she knew all too well. He glanced Jo over as she stood in the way, attempting to bide Fish and Butch some time to escape. As much as Jo cared for Oswald, she also wanted to keep her other mother and friend safe from Falcone's hitman.

"Do you mind moving aside?" Victor asked casually, brandishing his gun. "I'm not supposed to shoot you, but I will." When Jo didn't respond, instead staring at him while trying to keep a calm expression, Victor pushed Jo to the side so he and his girls could carry out Falcone's wishes.

Jo could hardly remember what happened next; she merely recalled the desperate way that Butch looked at her as Falcone's hitman dragged him away. Yet Jo was too frozen in place to do anything; coming face to face with her fiancé's killer really had left her shaken.

All Jo could do was hope that Fish had gotten out okay – and that Butch would be spared any severe punishment.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N**

**This chapter introduces one of the series' main characters into the mix and you will definitely get to see the effect this will have on Jo in the long-term. **

**Oswald isn't around much in this chapter but he will definitely be more prominent in the next one!**

**Thanks for reading thus far, please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Since Gabe had driven her and Oswald home that night, Jo had thought it appropriate to invite her apparent boyfriend to stay the night. Although it initially unnerved her to be sharing a bed with him, Oswald was quick to reassure Jo that she was his number one priority; he didn't touch her once as they laid together, eventually falling asleep on the edge of the bed as if to prove to Jo that he only had good intentions. Never again would Oswald hurt her. He loved her dearly after all.

While Oswald was quick to fall asleep, Jo just couldn't. For hours she lay there on her back, staring at the ceiling, as if searching for some kind of answer to an unasked question.

Jo had undoubtedly spent years hoping to meet someone who loved her for the flawed yet ruthless young woman she was – and Oswald certainly did. He'd been there during Jo's highs and lows and he knew every inch of her; every crack and every part that made her so unique. But Jo didn't know whether or not she wanted a life with Oswald. Sure, she wanted to be safe and happy in a city that didn't have a lot to offer; yet she equally wanted independence and power, much like Fish had possessed before she was stripped of her authority. But above all, Jo Carnell just wanted to know who she was, she just wanted to find her purpose in life.

Sighing, Jo decided that she wasn't going to get any sleep while such questions were preying on her mind; instead she got dressed and climbed through the window to sit by the fire escape stairs. The brisk air pricked her skin yet it felt refreshing to watch over the city while it slept. And the hours effortlessly passed by as Jo looked down – mulling over her past and the future ahead – her inevitable future with Oswald.

* * *

Upon hearing the sound of knocking later that morning, Jo stumbled towards the door – fighting against the effects of the champagne and also the lack of sleep. "Who is it?" She called out groggily, her head resting against the doorframe as her eyes rolled slightly.

"My name is Bruce Wayne. Your landlady said I could come up…" He paused, waiting for some kind of reaction on the other side of the door. "I'd really like to talk to you, Miss Carnell."

Instead of opening the door and facing up to the unavoidable, the meeting that she knew would eventually come to pass, Jo's eyes widened and she ran a hand through her hair while mouthing her shock to the invisible audience in the room with her.

"Does your butler know you're here?" Jo asked the door in a hushed tone so as not to wake Oswald, her head against it to ensure that the boy was still there – that her brother actually had come to find her – despite her desperation to avoid all contact with the family she never knew she had.

"That's not important." Bruce replied firmly. "I had to meet you, Miss Carnell. I need to tell you—"

Jo swung open the door quickly and, although she didn't intend on coming across as a cold and grumpy loner, her hungover actions didn't help her case whatsoever. "We're related. I know."

Bruce glanced over the young woman quickly; absorbing the image of the auburn-haired, seemingly sleep-deprived girl who was apparently his sister. "So you do know…"

"Yes, I found out like a week ago…" Jo said, inhaling deeply as she tilted her head back in an attempt to compose herself. "This isn't exactly how I wanted you and I to meet – if we ever did. But at least you get to see the real me…a goddamn mess."

"I don't think that of you." Bruce paused momentarily, expecting Jo to invite him inside. She didn't.

Jo sighed, "I really don't know what you want from me."

"I want you to acknowledge that we're family." Bruce said firmly, desperate to see some kind of reaction on Jo's face. He didn't want her to hug him and promise to defend him, but he did want to see her smile at least. "You're my sister. I feel that we should at least form some kind of relationship."

"Listen, Bruce. You seem like a good kid and all, and I pity you after you lost your parents, but I'm not in the market for a younger brother. I mean, look at me." Jo scoffed, gesturing towards herself. "Besides, your butler told me to stay away."

"Alfred said that to me too, but I still came all this way to talk to you." Bruce insisted determinedly, which caused Jo to realise how headstrong the boy was. It made her smile because he was so stubborn…just like her.

A small smile pricked her lips and Jo sighed in defeat. "Since your butler's already going to kill me you might as well stay."

Bruce smiled gratefully however, as he was about to follow her inside, she stopped him. Both because of the shoddy conditions of her apartment, and because Oswald was still sleeping in her bed.

"You don't want to come in here, it's really different to what you're used to. Small and really dirty." Jo glanced behind her, to where Bruce stood in the doorway. "Just give me a few minutes to change and we can go out someplace."

Deciding to be grateful for the effort, Bruce nodded and waited out in the hallway until Jo reappeared; slightly more fresh-faced and wearing a clean change of clothes. "Okay kid, where do you want to go? So long as it's nowhere too public, I'm game. You know, because it'll probably look like a kidnapping."

Bruce was a little taken aback by Jo's sense of humour; well, until he saw the serious expression on her face and realised that her concerns were genuine. "Nobody will think that. I'll just tell them the truth."

"You probably shouldn't go around announcing that I'm your sister." Jo shook her head as she led Bruce out of the apartment complex and out onto the street. As much as she didn't entirely hate the idea of making her link to the Wayne family known, the fact that Jo's involvements with the criminal world ran deep made it highly dangerous for Bruce to even be seen within a few feet of her. "The people of this city love a scandal."

Although Bruce didn't agree, he did understand where Jo was coming from. He just wished that she'd have let her guard down around him for just a moment; it was evident that she was tense, repeatedly looking over her shoulder as they walked down the street.

For a while, Jo and Bruce merely strolled down the ever-polluted Gotham streets; making small talk while trying to mentally establish one another's mannerisms so they would be able to read each other more clearly. It was one thing to get to know a complete stranger, but a whole other story when this stranger was also a close relative. Admittedly, Jo was finding it difficult to bond with Bruce beyond the simple, trivial conversations which they were sharing - yet Bruce was quick to pick up on a few of the characteristics his sister unconsciously displayed - particularly because she wasn't so good at masking her anxiety.

"What's on your mind?" Bruce asked with a furrowed brow as Jo's concerns grew stronger. "Something's wrong, I can tell."

Jo glanced at Bruce with an anxious expression. "What exactly did your butler tell you about me?"

"Alfred didn't say anything. I found the letters from your mother and I questioned him about the situation." Bruce told Jo with an almost inquisitive expression, before a thought hit him. "Can I ask you something?"

"You're quite a curious kid, aren't you?" Jo smirked in amusement, raising her eyebrow. "Go on…"

"Do you think my father was a good man?" Bruce turned to Jo with a serious visage. "He had an affair with your mother and never met you. He lied to everyone…does that make him a bad person?"

Jo thought for a moment; deliberating her personal definition of 'good' and 'bad.' She'd met enough people who could've been placed in either category yet she hadn't met Thomas Wayne, she barely knew anything about him. Therefore, her opinion on the practical Gotham celebrity was non-existent. But even so, Jo knew that she couldn't deny Bruce of her opinion. "I don't think we can measure someone's morality by one moment of madness. We all make mistakes and my mom is just as at fault – maybe more so for how she tried to manipulate your dad. I never met Thomas Wayne but I don't judge him; I was more than happy growing up with my mom and dad and I can't hate him for his absence. Besides, that way he was able to raise you and you seem like a pretty good kid." She let out a wry laugh, "you're nothing like me, I can tell you that much."

"You're not a bad person." Bruce retorted quickly; his expression thoroughly sincere. "You keep trying to convince me that you're a terrible influence but you're not. You're nothing like the criminals on the news so stop acting like you're a bad person. It's like you said, everyone makes mistakes..."

Although Jo knew that Bruce would think otherwise if he knew about her connections, her ever-changing positions within Gotham's crime families, she decided to take the compliment for what it was - something genuine. Perhaps Bruce was the only person who hadn't been lying to her as of late.

Jo threw Bruce a sidewards glance, the first real smile since she'd left the apartment plaguing on her lips. "For a kid, you're pretty wise aren't you?"

"I bloody knew it!" A distinctive English accent caught both of their attentions and before Jo could muster up an explanation, Alfred had stepped out of the large black car and was walking towards them. "Come along, Master Bruce."

"No Alfred, I'm perfectly alright here." Bruce insisted firmly, not leaving Jo's side even when Alfred's frustrations became evident.

"I thought I told you to stay away." Alfred's eyes were now on Jo; sternly glancing her over for any signs of remorse. "You and your bloody mother are the same."

Jo frowned at that and shook her head. "I'm not going to defend what she did but that doesn't make her a terrible person. This is Gotham after all; try and find one person who is completely innocent."

"I found Jo on my own, Alfred. And I'm glad that I did." Bruce feigned a smile as he glanced to Jo for a reaction; feeling relieved when she met his eyes with a somewhat soft expression. "I'm capable of making my own decisions."

Alfred watched Jo carefully for a moment, as if he was searching her expression for a hint of deceit, but he couldn't help but feel that Jo's actions were genuine – even if it pained him to accept that she had no hidden agenda in spending time with Bruce.

"We'll talk about this at home, Master Bruce." Alfred nodded towards the car yet he frowned when Bruce didn't move; adamant in his stance to form a bond with his half-sister.

Sighing, Jo patted Bruce's shoulder. "You really should go, Bruce; your butler's only looking out for you after all. Maybe we can hang out some other time." She glanced at Alfred for approval.

Alfred grimaced but he masked his concerns behind a short nod. "We'll see."

Bruce seemed somewhat content with this and headed towards the car; although Alfred had a few words for Mooney's performer before he could return Bruce to Wayne Manor. "How much will it take for you to leave Master Bruce alone?"

Jo blinked in surprise at the audacity of Alfred's offer. "You want to bribe me into staying away from him?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, yes." Alfred turned to where Bruce sat glumly in the back seat of the car and Jo could sense how strong the butler's inclinations to care for him were. "That boy has been through enough. He doesn't need someone like you messing with his head. You're just going to let him down, or put him in danger."

"I would never let that happen." Jo whispered, shaking her head. "I know that all of this has been so sudden and that I don't have the right to come into Bruce's life and take responsibility from you but I just want…I don't know, to be able to see him once in a while." She feigned a smile, "I'll only come around on your terms, and nobody will know of my connection."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Miss Carnell."

"Please…at least consider it?" Jo was almost pleading; glancing towards the car. She never thought she'd feel so attached to someone in such a short space of time, but Jo felt oddly inclined to take on the role of Bruce's sister – even if her part in his life was small and almost insignificant. Recently, Jo had been desperately searching for some kind of meaning, a purpose in life, and maybe that had something to do with Bruce. Being the only family he had left, perhaps it was her responsibility to at least try to help the boy overcome life's obstacles; just like an older sibling should, Jo wanted to be the one to look over Bruce's shoulder so he didn't have to, so he had nothing to be afraid of. And maybe Bruce could restore Jo's broken smile.

Alfred didn't say a word. Instead he threw Jo an apologetic smile before he turned to climb into the car; driving out of sight as Jo watched from the sidewalk, mentally cursing herself for feeling so involved in Bruce's life, for wanting to be even a small part of it.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N**

**I'm so sorry it's taken forever for me to update this fic! I just found it so difficult to get through the story, but I have no intention of stopping writing this - because there's still so much that could happen! **

**To briefly recap, Jo just met Bruce but Alfred has forbidden her from getting involved in his life - the effects of his words will become apparent in this chapter. Also, Jo is questioning her feelings for Oswald and whether or not she genuinely cares for him.**

**Thanks, please enjoy!**

* * *

Oswald was surprised to find the apartment empty when he woke. Jo had left so suddenly, without so much as a note to explain her absence. If Oswald didn't know better, he would've been concerned for Jo's wellbeing; running out into the city in search of her. But Oswald did know Jo. He knew that there had to be a decent enough explanation – or just that she needed time to herself – thus Oswald following her would've done more harm than good. That was Jo all over; she was incredibly secretive, despite her own frustrations whenever she was the one being kept in the dark.

While Oswald was overjoyed that Jo had started to accept his affections once again, he was still sceptical regarding Jo's sudden forgiveness of him. Oswald wasn't a fool; he'd suspected that Fish had driven Jo to become involved with him again and the more that Oswald dwelled on this theory, the more it seemed probable. It wasn't like Oswald could blame Jo for this though; even if his actions had been private, he'd well and truly humiliated her in his treatment. And a part of him, a much darker side, had wanted to do so much more to punish her. It scared Oswald to think that he could've severely harmed Jo – or even killed her – yet his constant affection towards the performer had prevented him from crossing that line. Honestly that was the only thing keeping Jo alive, the fact that he loved her too much. She was Oswald's weakness.

Moving throughout the apartment, Oswald noted how different it looked. Evidently, Jo had lacked the time and resolve to clean up after herself; the empty bottles around the sink and scattered clothes across the floor suggested that she hadn't been spending a lot of time at home lately. To an extent, Oswald blamed himself; Jo's best friend had been murdered in the apartment upstairs, thus resulting in an evacuation of the whole block, with people only just feeling comfortable enough to move back in. Although Kitty's murder had been written off as a mere accident, with nobody suspecting any foul play, Oswald knew that he had a long way to go to earn Jo's trust once again; he'd taken so much from her and wanted nothing more than to redeem himself.

Deciding to try and prove himself to her, Oswald began tidying the apartment as best he could; regarding it as too small a gesture to make it up to Jo for all his misdeeds, but hoping that it would at least be a start.

* * *

Oswald heard Jo's heels on the stairs and quickly proceeded to set the table; placing the plate of toast in the centre, along with the orange juice he'd bought at the corner store – hoping to nip Jo's apparent alcoholism in the bud before it became a very serious issue.

When Jo opened the door, she barely paid any regard to Oswald's efforts; instead kicking off her heels and heading through to the bedroom without so much as a glance in Oswald's direction. Furrowing his brow, Oswald knocked on the door, feeling curious as to what had caused the declination in Jo's mood. "Are you okay, Josephina?"

There was no reply.

"Josephina, I…" Oswald glanced back at the breakfast he'd prepared. "I made breakfast. Are you hungry?"

"I only have liquid breakfasts." Jo replied quickly from inside the room, sitting with her back against the door and knees pressed up to her chest.

Oswald frowned when he recognised Jo's muffled cries from the other side of the door. "Josephina, please let me in…"

"You should go, Oswald. I'm not worth your time." Jo insisted, trying her hardest to maintain the firmness in her voice. "I was just using you, you know. Fish told me to use my charm to get inside your head." She laughed wryly. "What charm? All I do is lie and drink and throw myself at any guy who calls me pretty."

Oswald would've been lying if he'd have said that Jo's confession didn't feel like a complete betrayal, a stab in the back, but because he'd always suspected so it seemed easy enough to forgive her for it. Besides, Oswald knew that he deserved some pain to act as retribution to his own actions against her. "You needn't feel bad about what you did to me. I deserve it." Oswald insisted, leaning against the door to listen closely to Jo's movements. When Oswald heard her stand to fumble with the door handle, he grew hopeful; only to furrow his brow when he saw how visibly distraught Jo was.

"I don't feel bad, Oswald." Jo replied quietly, emerging from the bedroom. "I feel disgusted with myself. I've been so hung up on climbing the ladder, of gaining power, that I've done some terrible things lately." She sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes quickly. "I might as well have held a gun to Liza's head and pulled the trigger myself because it's my fault she's dead."

"She shouldn't have upset you. She was playing Falcone for a fool while trying to take your place."

Jo shook her head, "I only told you about that because I knew it would get her out of the picture. She was a good person really, I was just jealous. And because of me, Fish is god-knows where. She could already be dead; she was like a mother to me and I sold her out."

"Falcone was already suspicious of Fish's motives." Oswald insisted, if only to ease Jo's guilt, as he took her shoulders. "Nobody can blame you for wanting to survive, Josephina. All you've ever wanted to do is stay alive."

"But is it really worth it? I'm 25 years old and I've done nothing with my life." She whispered, realising how true Alfred's words had been – they had hit her hard, like a slap in the face. A wake up call. "Who would even miss me if I just disappeared?"

"Josephina, please don't talk like that. You know that I'd miss you…" Oswald lifted her chin to force her eyes to meet his; desperate to make all her self-loathing go away. "Just let me try to understand what's going on in your head."

But she refused to let him in. "I can't even make sense of it myself, Oswald." Jo whispered, moving away from Oswald towards the window. "I know I said that I wanted power, that I wanted to be _someone_ in this city…but at what cost? I've lost all chances of having a normal life."

"We could have a normal life, Josephina. The life you wanted with Charlie…I can give that to you." Oswald insisted, his expression soft as he desperately tried to catch her attention as she stood with her back to him. "I love you. From the moment I saw you I…I felt this connection. It won't be long until I take this city from Falcone – then we can be truly happy. Our torment will finally be worth it."

"You don't get it, do you?" Jo glanced over her shoulder, dark tears falling from her eyes despite her best efforts to maintain her façade. "Because of my obsession with power, I have lost everything..!" As Jo turned to face him, Oswald couldn't help but recognise that look of helplessness – and he realised how truly alike he and Jo were. Except she was resisting her original ambition. "Since I got involved with you and Fish, everyone I care about has got hurt in the crossfire. I've indirectly killed so many people; Liza and probably Fish – I couldn't even save Kitty. And you. Maroni is suspicious of you because I told him the truth."

"What?" Oswald frowned, unable to believe what Jo was saying. "You told Maroni?"

Jo nodded, her head low to express her guilt. "I'm so sorry; I didn't know what I was thinking but I was so angry with you. But we can leave Gotham. If you want a fresh start, we can leave right now." It sounded crazy, some spontaneous idea that had suddenly come to mind, but at this point Jo was running short of ideas. If Maroni didn't enact his revenge on Jo, Fish had the potential to return and there would be no doubt that she'd discover Jo's transgressions – her ultimate betrayal. And then what? Neither Maroni nor Fish would kill Jo, not at first, instead they'd target those close to them. Nora would certainly get caught in the crossfire and, if the mob bosses were as smart as they appeared, a little digging would've revealed her true parentage – and her relation to one of the richest families in Gotham. As a result Bruce could've been harmed and, while Jo couldn't reveal such a secret to Oswald, she saw it as sufficient reason to leave.

"We could go anywhere." Jo whispered, taking his arm with a gentle smile. "We could…we could go to Europe; nobody would ever find us there. Just you and me."

Oswald thought for a moment; smiling at the notion of leaving with Jo, yet there was so much holding him back. After all, it had been his ambition to take over Gotham for so long. Frankly Oswald had given up so much, he'd endured so much pain, just to claim the crown. And now he was so close…but would it all be pointless if he lost Jo?

"I think we should stay. There's no need to be afraid; I will never let anyone hurt you, Josephina." Oswald smiled comfortingly and gently brushed away a tear that fell down her cheek. "Besides, I could never leave mother."

Jo sighed and nodded in understanding. Despite her disdain when it came to Gertrud, Jo accepted that Oswald would always be devoted to his mother; it had been evident from the morning in their apartment that the two of them had always relied on one another, and Jo could never compete with that. "Alright, we…we'll stay." Jo replied, her lip trembling slightly as she spoke those words of affirmation. Although she never once looked Oswald in the eye.

* * *

Oswald and Jo spent the rest of the day in each other's embrace; lounging on the sofa as they read their favourite Shakespearean lines. However, as evening approached, Oswald knew that he had to leave and attend to his business at the club. Jo stood up from the sofa to fix Oswald's tie, her hands gentle as she straightened the material.

"I can do that myself…" Oswald chuckled, glancing down as Jo's fingers caressed his tie, and then his suit.

"I know…" Jo smiled softly, "but I want to help. You know how much I love a man in a suit." She smooth her hands down the front of his blazer, before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you."

Her words made Oswald overjoyed; tittering excitedly he held her close. "Oh I love you too, Josephina. My beautiful dove." He closed his eyes as he became overcome with happiness, because she really had meant those three words this time. "I promise, when I come back from work, we can talk some more. I've got so many plans for us, my dear."

Jo feigned a smile, her heart swelling with sadness as she wrapped her arms around him. Because she wasn't going to be there when he returned.

Sure, it was a brash decision. One that hadn't been thought out whatsoever – and could've potentially gone horribly wrong – but at this point, Jo was desperate to get out. As much as she did care for Oswald, he was never going to leave Gertrud alone; while Jo was willing to leave her mother in order to keep them both alive.

As soon as Oswald had left, running into the bedroom, Jo took out her suitcase and threw a few of her favourite pieces of clothing inside, along with the basic items, before grabbing her purse and jacket and slipping out of the apartment. Although not before she scribbled a quick note for Oswald. It was hard to sum up all her feelings in a sentence or two, but all Jo could manage to write was a brief apology – as well as telling Oswald not to look for her. After all, this was the fresh start they both needed. That they both _deserved. _

However, as Jo rushed down the stairs, she was stopped in her tracks by an unexpected face.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N**

**Hi all! I won't say much about this chapter, other than the fact that this isn't the final one by any means. There will be lots more I promise! This just wraps up Jo's involvement in season 1's events :)**

* * *

"What're you doing here, Detective?" Jo frowned slightly and tried to disguise the fact that she had a suitcase in hand.

"Oh good evening to you too." Harvey said sarcastically; somewhat offended by Jo's unusual frankness.

Jo grimaced when she realised that she might have sounded ruder than she intended. "Sorry…I just don't really have the time to stop and chat right now…"

Harvey furrowed his brow, before he noticed the suitcase behind Jo's back. "You goin' somewhere?"

"Vacation." She quickly feigned a smile. "I deserve one."

"Is Cobblepot going with you?"

"What makes you think that I'm still involved with Oswald?"

"Cut the crap, Jo. I'm not an idiot." Harvey frowned. "I thought you had no intention of going back to him."

"What can I say? I have a very fickle heart." Jo rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Is that why you were naked in my apartment one day then ignoring my calls the next? Because your heart is 'fickle.'" Harvey scoffed, masking his hurt behind a wry smile. "You know, I actually thought you cared about me. Ha, maybe I am a fool."

Jo shook her head, her green eyes welling up with tears. "I did care about you – I do!"

"Then why are you running, Jo?!" Harvey raised his tone, barely able to look Jo in the eye. "You won't let anyone help you. You've just been going on a downward spiral since I met you and now, you're just as bad as Fish. And you're only gonna get worse."

She slapped him at that. Hard enough to send him reeling slightly. "You don't get it, do you? I'm leaving to avoid becoming like them! I know I hurt you and I'm sorry but don't think for one second that what we had wasn't real because it was. For once just get your head out your ass and think about the bigger picture. This city is going to shit and I realise now that I don't want that kind of power, because it only destroys what really matters – it already has." Jo appeared pensive for a moment. "Just look at what my stupid pride has done. My mom can barely look me in the eye anymore, Kitty died thinking I hated her, Fish might as well have fallen off the face of the earth because she isn't coming back…and Liza. Falcone murdered that poor girl because I wasn't thinking straight. And now Maroni's probably going to do the same to Oswald and that's on me. It's my fault. I see a threatening situation and I…it's like I run towards the danger. I feed off it. So how can I ever let myself be happy when I'm surrounded by too many negative variables?" Jo laughed cynically. "I'm basically a ticking time bomb. So it's better off for everyone that I leave before everything blows up and those around me get hurt."

In that moment, Harvey truly recognised Jo's pained expression; he'd looked back on such a visage one too many times in the mirror after a late night of drinking and sleeping around. His outlook on life had long-since been jaded by the callous nature of Gotham City yet Jo had somehow managed to restore his smile, if only briefly. Just watching the way in which Jo was evidently crumbling under the pressure really got to him; although she'd cut off all contact without warning, Harvey still cared about Jo – he wanted her to be happy.

"Where do you plan to go?" He asked, clearing his throat.

"Charlie's parents live just outside of Gotham. I was hoping to stay there for a few days until I sort something out." Jo closed her eyes briefly in order to hold back her tears. "It's just…I can't stay, Harvey. You have to understand that I have to go."

Harvey nodded; although he didn't want to acknowledge Jo's desire to leave Gotham, he understood where she was coming from. For Harvey to say that the thought of ditching Gotham for an easy life someplace warm had never crossed his mind would've been a lie – of course he frequently imagined himself living a different life, as many Gothamites did, yet he also knew that it was never going to happen for him. But as for Jo, if she escaped now, it wouldn't be too late for her to start over. To have another attempt at being the person she wanted to be. "Come on. I'll drive you as far as you want me to."

"You don't have to do that." Jo was reluctant when he tried to take her suitcase.

"If this is gonna be the last I see of you, I wanna make sure you remember me as more than a loud-mouthed detective." Harvey tried his best to muster a laugh, but it was evidently strained.

Feigning a sad smile, Jo handed Harvey her suitcase and he was apparently surprised by its weight. "You're travelling light…" He remarked, walking down the staircase with Jo following closely behind him.

"I'm starting from scratch. There are just…too many reminders in that apartment." Jo unlocked the door to the complex and headed outside to Harvey's car, although not before getting a final look at the hallway; recalling how naïve and innocent she had initially been, before she had subjected herself to the city's dangers and corruption. Before her hunger for power had consumed her thoughts. Most people were unable to come back from such obsessive behaviour but Jo had stopped herself just in time.

"You sure you don't want to tell your mom that you're leaving Gotham?" Harvey asked as he started the car up.

However Jo shook her head. "She'll only try and persuade me to stay. Or she'll try to come with me and I can't allow her to do that." She glanced towards Harvey, a sad smile in place. "You'll tell her that I left though, won't you?"

"Of course I will." Harvey looked at Jo, her face filled with gratitude. "Anything else I can do?"

Jo thought for a moment, before she nodded. "Can you take me someplace, before we leave? It won't take long but…I have to resolve a few things first." It was a long shot, and Jo wondered if she'd even get past the front door, yet she knew that it was something she had to do. After all, her meeting with her brother had acted as the catalyst for her sudden desire to change her life.

* * *

On their way to Wayne Manor, Jo had tried her best to explain the situation to Harvey and, although it had baffled him to learn that the woman he admired more than anyone was the daughter of the late Thomas Wayne, he had sworn to keep her secret. Watching her walk up towards the front door of Wayne Manor made Harvey realise how fragile Jo really was; regardless of the act of confidence that she constantly wore to protect herself from Gotham's many dangers. In fact, Harvey had learned more about Jo in the last hour than he had in the whole time he'd known her.

Jo timidly knocked on the door, the large home looming over her as though it forbade her presence; hoping to intimidate her into leaving without a word. However, she persisted in her knocking and was soon met by the familiar face of the butler, who eyed her carefully as though the young woman wasn't to be trusted.

"I promise I'm not here to cause trouble." Jo insisted quickly before he had the chance to send her away. "I just came to say goodbye."

Alfred furrowed his brow, "you're leaving Gotham? Might I ask why?"

"I suppose meeting Bruce had an effect on me." Jo smiled sadly and even Alfred could realise that she was being genuine in her intentions. "I'm going to make something of myself before it's too late. And before I end up putting those I care about in danger."

As much as Alfred's head was advising him to get rid of Jo quickly, he just didn't have the heart to turn her away, not when she was about to leave anyway. Besides, he knew that Bruce deserved a chance to say goodbye – he hadn't had that luxury with his parents after all.

"Right then. Well you best come in, hadn't you?" Alfred sighed and held the door open, watching as Jo smiled gratefully at followed him inside. "Master Bruce is just reading in the library."

Alfred led Jo down what felt to her like an endless series of corridors; the hallway lavishly decorated with paintings and other expensive entities that, as a young girl, Jo had dreamed of possessing. When they reached the library in question, the realisation of what she was about to do hit Jo and she almost feared admitting her plan to Bruce – because she didn't want to see the disappointment on his face.

Jo turned to Alfred, "thank you for letting me do this. I know I don't deserve it so I want you to know that I'm grateful."

Instead of replying, Alfred simply nodded and knocked on the library door in order to gain Bruce's approval of entry. But, despite his lack of response, Alfred did pity Jo in a way; it was evident that she hadn't had many opportunities in her life, nor had she experienced a real sense of belonging, so Alfred did understand how something as small as a few minutes with her half-brother meant a lot to her.

With an edge of nervousness, Jo entered the library and felt suddenly scared when she saw Bruce look up at her with an immediate smile at her presence. "Jo, it's good to see you." He beckoned her closer, "please take a seat."

Jo cautiously obliged and perched herself on the edge of the sofa, almost in awe as she admired the books that covered the walls. "Now I see where I get my bookish nature from." She feigned a smile before returning her gaze to Bruce.

"You read?" Bruce asked suddenly, before realising the brashness of his comment. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that…it's just…"

She shook her head, laughing slightly. "Hey, it's okay. I know I come across as a bit of a party girl."

Bruce smiled too. "So what is it you wanted to see me about?" Jo pulled a surprised expression, curious as to what level of mind-reading her half-brother possessed. "I know that look."

Normally, Jo wasn't scared to say what was on her mind but this was different. Somehow it was hard to tell the brother she'd just met that she was about to walk out of his life. But it would be even more difficult to explain the reasons why. After all, Bruce was the only person to see only the good in her. "I'm leaving Gotham, Bruce." Jo struggled to look her brother in the eye at that. "I came here to say goodbye."

"Is it my fault?" Bruce asked suddenly, "if you're leaving to protect me then there's no need; I'm capable of defending myself." He noticed Jo's confused expression, "Alfred said that you were in a dangerous situation."

Jo nodded, "I am. But that's not the only reason why I'm leaving." She glanced towards Bruce, a sad smile in place. "What you said to me, about me being a good person, it really meant something. So I'm leaving to become the person you think I am. I want to be the sister you deserve Bruce, but while I'm here I can't be that person."

To her surprise, Bruce seemed to nod in understanding; apparently wise beyond his years, his comprehension of the situation far clearer than any other child in Gotham – maybe even the majority of adults. Jo figured that it was because he'd already experienced so much trauma at the cold hands of the city, thus he truly understood the darkness that lurked there.

"Do you need anything?" Bruce asked, reaffirming his mature disposition. "I want to help you."

"You already have Bruce. You've opened my eyes, and you can't put a price on that." Jo stood up to leave; not wanting to cause any further upset or overstay her welcome.

However Bruce was quick to throw his arms around her and Jo found herself hugging back without a second thought; holding onto the boy with a look of sadness in her eyes. Perhaps she was melancholic because she was thinking of how things could've been between her and Bruce, or maybe this was just Jo's way of saying goodbye.

Glancing upwards, Jo noticed Alfred standing in the doorway and she took a step away from her brother; feigning a smile if only to reassure the boy – and herself – that she would be okay. "Well…I should be going."

"You'll stay safe, won't you?" Bruce's voice was quiet. "And you'll be happy?"

Jo nodded, averting his gaze in order to prevent herself from becoming emotional. "I will. For you."

"Good." Bruce appeared satisfied with that answer and watched with an unreadable expression as Jo left the study; following Alfred to the door.

"Well, Miss Carnell. I hope you have a safe journey. I really appreciate what you're doing to keep Bruce safe." He paused, his expression softening towards her somewhat. "And if there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."

"Could you just…make sure my mom is alright?" Jo grimaced slightly when the butler didn't respond. "I know it's a lot to ask, especially after the trouble she's caused but…I'm all she has and I fear that she won't handle being on her own too well. If you could just, you know, see to it that she's alright financially and…maybe even stop by for coffee every now and then?"

Alfred was evidently reluctant, but he nodded in agreement just the same. "I'll see what I can do."

And with that, Jo left Wayne Manor – finally feeling ready to continue with her journey. Ready to leave Gotham behind once and for all.

* * *

Jo stood up from the bench upon seeing the bus rolling up to the curb and took her suitcase from Harvey. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah, I guess so." Harvey mumbled, having never been one for such soppy situations. He stuffed his hands into his pocket in an attempt to disguise his inner distress at seeing her go. "Are you sure you'll be okay from here?"

She shrugged, following this action with nervous laughter. "I really don't know. But I'll soon find out." For a moment, Jo fell silent as she studied Harvey's own sullen expression, before she put down her suitcase and moved to hug him. "I will never forget what you did for me, Harvey Bullock. Even after everything I've done. I don't deserve your kindness, I'm-"

"Hey, let's not make this some cliché goodbye in the rain." Harvey chuckled, yet he didn't let Jo go; instead he held her tightly against him, for what he knew would be the final time. "Just promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

Jo smiled tearfully and reluctantly broke away from Harvey. "Only if you promise me the same thing."

"I'll try." Harvey grinned in order to mask his own emotions.

"You deserve to be happy, Harvey." Jo told him as she picked up her suitcase. "And you will be, with someone more deserving of you than me." She hesitated briefly, but quickly placed a gentle kiss on Harvey's cheek. "See you later, Detective."

The detective smirked, "Yeah, see you later."

Harvey watched Jo climb onto the bus with a heavy heart as he realised that it would likely be the last he ever saw of her. Despite her words Jo was leaving indefinitely and, although he knew that she was leaving for all the right reasons, it really did hurt him to watch her leave. Despite never having wanted to grow so fond of a girl in Mooney's ranks, Jo really had worked her way into the detective's affections, and he wondered if he really could move on from her. But Harvey was going to try and push on, just like Jo would attempt to start a new life away from her past demons.

* * *

Oswald smiled as he climbed the stairs to Jo's apartment, the bouquet of roses tightly in hand. Standing outside the door, Oswald reached into his blazer pocket and took out the small velvet box, before he opened the lid and admired the bejewelled ring that it contained. He'd left work early to pick it out for her; carefully examining every available ring, contemplating whether or not Jo would like it, imagining how each one would look on her finger. Although Oswald had always hoped for a future with Jo, his mind constantly conjuring up images of churches and children, his conversation with her earlier that day had all but confirmed those things to be exactly what Oswald wanted with Jo. He loved her more than anything.

Taking a deep breath, Oswald knocked on the door and entered; immediately looking around the room for Jo. "Josephina? I'm home."

When there was no reply, Oswald cautiously checked the bedroom; his concerns growing when he found the apartment to be completely empty. His first thoughts were that something awful had happened to her and this left him panicked. What if Maroni had tracked Jo down in order to punish her for her loyalty to Fish? Or maybe Fish had managed to escape her own dangerous situation, and had realised how Jo had essentially sold her out.

Then Oswald noticed the letter that Jo had placed on the counter; recognising her handwriting, he quickly read the note with a hopeful expression. Although Oswald was left in tears by the end. Because Jo had left him feeling abandoned and alone. Just as he was on the night he returned to Gotham in search of her help.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N**

**Hi guys! Sorry it's been a few months since I last updated this; I was busy with all my exams and sorting through requests on my tumblr page, but I'm going to try and write more regularly for this fic.**

**The last chapter basically concluded Jo's involvement in season 1, so this chapter pretty much coexists with the first ep of season 2. It's more of an introduction to what's going to be happening. I've also gone back and made a few edits to some of the chapters because I just didn't like the dark place that the end of chapter 17 went in for one thing, so a few alterations were made with that chapter to name one.**

**Hopefully this chapter turned out okay, and I hope to see you all next chapter! :)**

* * *

"I hope you boys are still hungry because I made apple pie." Nora returned carrying the dessert in question, an excited smile in place as she set the plate down at the table.

"That smells wonderful, Nora. Thank you." Alfred smiled politely as she began to cut two slices, one for him and the other for Bruce.

All she could do was watch with a warm smile as the two ate the result of her afternoon in the kitchen; she had worked hard to ensure that they liked the dessert so was thrilled to see that her efforts had indeed been successful.

Nora still remembered the first morning that Alfred had come to see her. It had been a few days after Harvey had visited her, bearing the news of Jo's departure from Gotham. She had been left distraught and empty, but Alfred had tried his best to comfort her like the gentleman he was. After that day, Alfred did keep his promise to Jo by frequently visiting her mother to see how she was coping – and his presence always helped to cheer Nora up somewhat.

But despite the brave front she always wore, Nora was incredibly lonely in the evenings when she closed her café. Her work acted as a distraction and Nora had always figured that tending to the needs of others was one of the only things she could do without fail. Maybe even more so than caring for her own daughter.

Alfred had found her one evening, sitting alone in the dark café. The typically cheerful woman had well and truly lost her smile, instead she was a tearful mess; crying to Alfred about how she felt as though she'd failed as a mother, while showing the utmost remorse for her behaviour towards Thomas Wayne. And Alfred believed her.

Normally he'd have been reluctant to accept an apology from someone who had constantly blackmailed his master for their own financial gain but it was plain as day that Nora had done such a thing out of desperation – and love for her child. Besides, she was indeed paying for her past transgressions now.

Then Nora had informed him of her intention to sell her beloved café and family home; claiming that the memories it held were too much for her to bear, especially since she now had nothing left. Alfred had indeed pitied her and had suggested that she stay at Wayne Manor for a few days until her situation was resolved, yet somehow those proposed days had become weeks.

It wasn't that Nora had overstayed her welcome – on the contrary – both Bruce and Alfred actually enjoyed having her there. She had been a big help around the mansion and had made sure to earn her keep; tending to the house and the gardens, all while willingly preparing meal after meal for the young heir and his butler. And although it might've seemed like a lot of work, Nora believed that it was all worth it; she was no longer on her own and she felt appreciated, even if she did miss her café on occasion.

But still, Nora knew that she'd found something greater in Wayne Manor. Even if she doubted that the butler would ever reciprocate her feelings.

* * *

"I told you, I don't know where she is."

"See, I refuse to believe that, Jim." Oswald pressed his tongue to his cheek and shook his head. "Regardless of what you and your partner say, one of you knows where Josephina is."

Jim furrowed his brow, "Oswald, I assure you I know nothing. Neither does Harvey."

"Well, I've been looking for months and I've found no sign of Josephina. People don't just disappear out of thin air..!"

"No, but maybe she doesn't want to be found." Jim knew there would be no convincing Oswald, regardless of how certain he was that Jo had left with no intention of maintaining any ties to the city. "Perhaps the best thing would be to let her go..."

Oswald shook his head, fiercely certain within his determination to find his girlfriend. "I can't do that Jim. How would you feel if Lee had left without so much as a goodbye? If you'd returned home to find her gone with no explanation, would you just let her go?"

"Of course not." Jim insisted quietly. Somehow, as much as he disagreed with Oswald, he did understand where he was coming from. Except he knew that Lee would never leave him, right?

Suddenly, a smirk crept onto Oswald's lips and he leaned back in his throne, his eyes bright as though an idea had just come to mind. "Since you came here asking for a favour, perhaps we can make a deal?" Oswald watched Jim closely, sensing that he'd already figured out what Oswald's request would be. "I'll persuade Commissioner Loeb to reinstate you at the GCPD if you locate Josephina and convince her to return to Gotham."

Naturally, Jim grimaced. It was one thing to find Jo's whereabouts but actually convincing her to go home was a whole other challenge. He'd learned that she could be headstrong and incredibly stubborn, so the chances of living up to his side of the bargain were slim.

"You do want your old job back, right?" Oswald raised an eyebrow upon realising Jim's reluctance. However the self-proclaimed King of Gotham couldn't help but smirk proudly, because he already knew what Jim's answer would be.

* * *

"Harvey, you really don't know anything about Jo Carnell's whereabouts, do you?"

"I already told you, no." Harvey looked up from the bar and frowned, "why'd you ask?"

Being perceptual, Jim sensed that his partner was holding back – just as he had done since Jo disappeared several weeks before. In a way, he'd always known that Harvey wasn't being entirely truthful regarding the matter of his ex-girlfriend's disappearance yet only now was he feeling desperate enough to push for the truth. His job depended on it.

"Penguin says he'll get me my old job back if I find her." His expression was both apologetic and distressed. "I know we've been over this already, but you have to understand that this is important. Jo can't stay hidden forever and I need to get back to work. Please, Harvey."

"Even if I did know something, why the hell do you think I'd tell you Jim? I can't let him near her again; Jo deserves a better life and that son of a bitch nearly dragged her down with him."

Jim hung his head and nodded in understanding. "I know this can't be easy, Harv. But I can't think of any other way to get my job back."

Harvey really didn't want to betray Jo by giving away such details, because he couldn't bear to see her be dragged away from whatever life she'd earned for herself, but Jim had been his partner. Even now that he was no longer a detective, Jim had been there for him. And somehow, this was for the greater good. Harvey grimaced and leaned forward, his voice low and expression highly reluctant; evidently already plagued with guilt for what he was about to do.

* * *

It was easy enough for Jim to locate Jo's fiancé's parents' house; the Faraways ran their own bed and breakfast just an hour or so away from Gotham City so Jim felt quite lucky that he was only faced with a couple of hour's drive.

Upon his arrival, Jim was treated as a welcome customer by an elderly lady who immediately introduced herself as Susan Faraway. "We don't normally get such good-looking gentlemen around here. Are you on vacation?"

"Actually...I'm here to enquire about a guest, Josephina Carnell?"

Her warm smile suddenly faltered and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why are you asking?"

Jim cleared his throat, "I'm…a friend. I'd like to talk with her if you know where she's staying?"

"I have no idea." Susan insisted quickly. "Jo left a week ago."

"Did she say where she was going?" Jim felt a sense of dread building; his career depended on him locating Jo after all.

Susan shook her head, "not a word." Then she tensed up, hearing footsteps on the stairs, followed by a voice.

"Susan, I'm going into town. Can I get you something?"

Jim furrowed his brow; expectedly confused upon hearing the familiar voice, because it meant that the seemingly sweet woman had tried to lie to him.

Then Jo reached the bottom of the stairs and was stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing Jim sitting there. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Should I call the police, Jo?" Susan asked, standing up quickly.

"He _is_ the police." Jo sighed and ran a hand through her hair, sensing that Jim had ventured out of Gotham to see her for a good reason. "Could you give us a minute, Susan?

"Alright." She headed towards the door, although not before eyeing Jim carefully. "Just shout for help if he tries to pull something."

Jo checked to make sure whether Susan was within earshot before she sat down.

"So what's all this about?" Jo leaned forward in her chair, evidently anxious. "You're quite a while away from the city. You must have a pretty good reason for coming out here."

While Jim had spent the whole journey mulling over how he'd explain his motives to Jo, eventually deciding to lay the situation down gently, now that he was sitting right across from her Jim felt somewhat intimidated and knew that there was only one sure way to approach the matter. Even if it wasn't going to go down well.

"I need you to come back to Gotham."

"I'll pass. Thanks." Jo barely hesitated in her response. Perhaps she'd already known what Jim was going to say.

"Please, Miss Carnell. I know I'm asking a lot of you but this is important—"

"Damn right you're asking a lot of me. How dare you track me down and try to take me away from everything I've worked for! I'm up for an acting job on the west coast…I could actually be someone." Jo sighed, her frustration more than apparent. "…Okay, I'll humour you. Why do I need to go back there?"

Grimacing, Jim lowered his voice. "I made a deal with Penguin. He wants to see you."

"Oh, so I'm just a bargaining chip in some game the two of you are playing?" She laughed cynically. "So what is he doing for you in return?"

"He's going to get me reinstated at the GCPD."

Jo blinked in surprise, "wait, you were fired? Well Gotham really is screwed now."

"So you understand that the situation is difficult and I need my job back?" Jim asked hopefully, searching Jo's expression for a sign of her agreement.

"Of course, but why did you go asking Oswald for favours?"

Jim furrowed his brow, a confused look on his face. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"After you left, Maroni and Fish Mooney were killed. Then Falcone left town." He watched as Jo's eyes widened in surprise. "Penguin took over. He's in charge of the city now."

"Wow, so he did make it after all." Jo appeared thoughtful for a moment, but then she shook her head. "But I could be somebody, Jim. You can't expect me to give this up. My interview's in a few days and if I get the job, it'll set me up for life."

Of course Jim felt for Jo beneath the firm posture he'd chosen to wear, but he just couldn't give up just yet – his own career was important too. "Cobblepot just has to see you, then I'm sure you'll be able to go wherever you want."

Jo raised an eyebrow at his comment. "How well do you actually know Oswald? He's like a child when he wants something, stubborn as hell. Why do you think I ran away before?"

As expected, there was just no convincing Jo. So the ex-detective decided to try a different approach. "What about your mom?" Then Jim thought about what Bruce had told him in confidence a few weeks before. The boy had confided in him about his father's transgression with Nora Carnell – and how that had led to Jo's birth. At the time Jim had been reluctant to believe it; Bruce had evidently been digging deep and had probably misunderstood some information he'd stumbled upon. But then Nora moved into Wayne Manor as a cook, and it all suddenly clicked into place.

Although Jim really didn't want to manipulate Jo into coming back, he was desperate at this stage and decided that using Bruce as an incentive could work. "What about your brother?" He lowered his voice and made sure that nobody was within earshot. "Bruce told me the truth."

Genuinely shocked, Jo sat in silence for a few moments; evidently mulling over what to say next. "Why would he tell you that?"

"I guess he trusts me. I'm still looking into the Wayne murders, but that's incredibly difficult when I no longer have access or authority." Jim sensed that Jo was thinking about what he was saying – maybe she was even in understanding. It wasn't as though Jim was playing mind games with her, not really; Bruce really was counting on him to find out why his parents were killed, and Jim needed the access that being a cop came with in order to do so.

"If I go with you…" Jo paused, inhaling deeply. "You have to promise to get me out again. When Oswald's satisfied, I will leave. And you'll help me, alright?"

Jim nodded, deciding to make the compromise since this deal was probably the closest thing he'd to a firm agreement he could hope for.

"Fine. I'll go back, but only for Bruce's sake." Jo laughed in disbelief at her own words. "I must be going insane."


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N**

**I know I say this every chapter nowadays but I apologise for the huge gap between chapters. I've just had a lot going on lately; my laptop broke back in July which prevented me from doing a lot of writing, I just got back from America and I head off to university in 2 weeks. And I've also got my tumblr account to manage so it's sometimes difficult to write all the requests on there while trying to think of new chapter ideas over on this site.**

**But I promise that none of my original Gotham fics will end unfinished. If you see that I haven't updated in a while, please don't assume that I've abandoned this story. I've still got a few ideas for this fic and I don't want to leave it without a suitable ending; although that's probably a while away at the moment since this fic has only just reached the events of season 2.**

**Anyway, thanks to everyone who has kept up with this fic so far, it means a lot! I hope you like this chapter and please leave a review if you have the time! :)**

* * *

The journey back to Gotham definitely felt like the longest car ride of Jo's life.

While Jim had tried his best to break the silence that lingered with small-talk, Jo just hadn't been very receptive to his seemingly forced interests in her budding acting career. She'd been staring out of the window for the vast majority of the journey; particularly when they reached the city. It was almost as though Jo was concentrating carefully on every street they drove by, as though to recreate the mental map she'd spent her whole life trying to build. Despite having only been away from the city for a few months, everything just felt so unfamiliar to Jo; it was like she was being thrown straight into the deep end, rushing head first into surroundings that were both foreign and intimidating to her.

Jim glanced over at Jo; he was curious as to why she was being so uncharacteristically quiet. When they'd first met she had plenty of things to say, really testing both him and Harvey with her stubbornness. When the detective thought about it, he realised that Jo had continuously presented him with persona after persona; while Harvey had been blinded by his affections for her, Jim had been quick to realise that Jo had always been hiding behind a different mask. Initially, Jim had thought her to be a schemer but now he couldn't help but wonder if the various fronts she'd worn acted as her armour. Perhaps the young woman thought that the only way to protect herself from harm was to hide behind a series of lies and inconsistencies. However now Jim wondered if this Jo, the quiet and apparently pensive young woman sitting in his car, wasn't an act at all. Maybe he was seeing the real Jo Carnell for the first time; she seemed so small and helpless now, without her guns and her boots and her alliance with Fish Mooney. And Jim almost pitied her.

"I hope you understand that I need to take you straight to Cobblepot." Jim told her, realising that they were nearing the street in which the new King of Gotham's mansion was located. "I need to get my job back before things get worse. I'm sorry."

Jo threw him a sideways glance. "I don't blame you for this, you know. Back then I probably would've been planning some twisted revenge but…I'm not like that anymore. I don't want to be some kind of villain, I've worked too hard to change that and I have changed. I really have."

Jim nodded, actually believing what Jo was telling him. Whether it was the firm tone to her voice or the way in which her green eyes hadn't averted his stare, Jim thought that Jo's words had been very convincing and he really hoped that she'd be able to avoid reverting back to old habits, as did Jo. Especially since Oswald tended to have an influence in bringing out this darker side to her.

* * *

When they reached Oswald's mansion, Jim decided to enter the room on his own first; desperate to ensure that his…friend intended to keep up his end of their deal. While she waited outside, Jo couldn't help but feel sick at the thought of revisiting her past. She'd long-since banished those demons and had felt much happier in doing so, which was why she feared that seeing Oswald again would cause her to regress.

"Why'd you come back here?" Jo lifted her head, only to be met by Butch's suspicious stare. "You finally got away. You had a chance; it's more than most people have."

"Detective Gordon is a decent guy." Jo told him, deciding to ignore the fact that his involvement in the investigating the Wayne murders was her sole reason for agreeing to return. "I'm really sorry by the way, about Fish. I know how close you two were."

"Apparently not as close as you and Oswald were. Is that why you screwed Fish over?"

Jo shook her head. "I never meant to hurt Fish; she was like a mother to me. Anyway, if you hate Oswald so much then why are you working here?"

"Why don't you ask him that?" Butch nodded towards the door as Jim left, looking over at Jo to enter. "Good luck. You'll need it."

Feigning a smile, Jo headed over to where Jim stood. "So all I've got to do is go in there and be my charming self, right?" Jo sighed, "you'll wait out here, won't you?"

Despite being taken aback by the request, Jim nodded in response; he figured that the least he could do for Jo was to be there to make sure was okay. Harvey wouldn't have been pleased to find out that Jim had left Jo alone with her somewhat obsessed ex after all.

* * *

Ever since Jo had left without an explanation, Oswald had thought endlessly of the day that she'd come back into his life. He'd imagined what she'd look like, how she'd smile happily and apologise for abandoning him. Then it would be as though nothing had ever happened – everything would just slot into place and go back to normal.

But even with the hours he'd spent envisioning this fateful moment, Oswald found himself rendered speechless when Jo slipped inside the room. At first she lingered by the door, unsure where to stand in the large room as her big green eyes fell upon Oswald's stunned gaze. Jo watched him silently for a moment; unsure of what to say or think when she saw how confident her ex-boyfriend appeared to be whilst sat on his throne at the end of the long table. Just like a king presiding over his empire.

Oswald cleared his throat and beamed at her; finally convinced that his dream had finally become a reality. "Josephina…i-it's so good to see you." He gestured towards the seat beside him. "Please, take a seat."

Jo took a few steps forward, but stopped, her stare remained on Oswald. She didn't know why she was acting so quiet all of a sudden, so cautious, but she figured that returning to Gotham had affected her more than she'd initially thought. All of a sudden, the memories she'd worked so hard to forget had come flooding back. Particularly the ones from the night of her fight with Oswald, when he'd hit her. When he'd made her feel worthless.

"Josephina, what's wrong?" Oswald chuckled softly, almost desperate to hear her say something…anything. "Oh, you've cut your hair." Oswald remarked, referring to the way in which Jo's hair now barely surpassed her shoulders, also noticing that she'd stopped dying it; allowing the more auburn shade to revert back to her natural dark brown. "It's nice though. You look beautiful."

Jo smiled slightly. "Thanks…"

While Jo's one-word answer and the glum tone in which she'd responded disappointed Oswald, he was determined to make the effort with his estranged girlfriend – he'd gone to almost extreme lengths to bring her back to him after all.

"So how have you been?" Oswald asked, evidently keen to make a good impression, to ease down the walls that Jo was keeping herself concealed behind. He wanted her to finally approach him; to discard that shaken look she bore and fall into his arms, where she'd promise to never leave like that again. "It must be a little strange to be back here, especially now that I'm, well, the King of Gotham. But I assure you that I'm still the same man I always was, the one that you fell in love with."

"I can see that." Jo said quietly. "You're still scheming, still playing games with people."

Jo's comment made Oswald frown, pulling a pained face as though mortally wounded by the accusation. He stood up quickly and walked towards her, dragging his bum leg across the floor as he went; although he tried to hide this behind a confident disposition. "None of this is a game, I assure you, my dear."

"Then why do I feel like I've been given a rubbish hand here? Like I'm losing…" Jo folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to appear somewhat intimidating, when in fact she was feeling intimidated by the entire situation. "Gordon's getting his job back now and you've got me exactly where you want me…but what do I get out of this?"

"You get to share all of this with me." Oswald told you, smile still in place as though he was trying to convince Jo that everything had worked out perfectly. "You can have anything you want. You can have this city in the palm of your hand…just like we always planned."

Shaking her head, Jo felt the air around her grow thicker when Oswald took another step closer; almost closing the space between them entirely. "That's not what I want anymore."

"Then what do you want, my dove? Just say the word and it's yours."

Oswald reached out a hand to hold Jo's, but she pulled it back quickly. "I want my life back."

"What do you mean?" Oswald furrowed his brow. "This is your life. Here, with me. We can be happy, you and me, we—"

"You don't get it, do you?" Jo cut Oswald off, raising her voice slightly while she tried to hold it together. "I finally had a chance to make something of myself. Things were going great; I was about to buy my own apartment, I was up for an acting job – I…I was going to be on Broadway, can you even imagine? But then you had to come back into my life and wake me from that dream that I'd worked so hard to achieve."

"Oh Josephina, I'm so proud of you. Don't worry about the job though; I know a few talent scouts here in Gotham that would be delighted to meet you. I could give one of them a call and—"

"This isn't about the job Oswald, it's about me. I started from scratch and built myself back up – and I did it all on my own. I earned that respect myself; I realised that I don't need to rely on anyone else because I'm more than capable of surviving on my own."

"What are you saying? That you don't need me anymore?" Oswald appeared genuinely hurt by Jo's newfound sense of independence. "Because I assure you that this city has changed dramatically in your absence."

"Well it's good that I won't be here for long then."

Oswald shook his head, "that wasn't the deal…"

"Oh, well forgive me for not reading the contract behind this 'deal' of yours. Nothing formal was ever signed on my part; I was just forced to go along with this."

A wry chuckle escaped from Oswald's lips, as though she'd told him the funniest joke he'd heard all day. "If the notion of being here, if being with me, repulsed you so much then…why exactly did you agree to come back?" His lips curled upwards to form an amused smirk. "I doubt that Jim forced you to come here against your will. He didn't drag you back to me, you came willingly. Why is that, hm?"

"You took advantage of Gordon's situation. I was just the golden goose he had to bring him in order to prosper."

"But you didn't answer my question, my dear little dove." Oswald tilted his head to the side, his tongue probing the side of his mouth. "Go on, tell me why you didn't just say no. Tell me you don't want to be here. Tell me you don't want me."

Jo knew exactly why she hadn't refused Jim's request; her reluctant compliance had come about as a result of her desire to help her half-brother find out exactly what happened to his parents – and that was the_ only_ reason…wasn't it? Either way, Jo was well aware that she couldn't tell Oswald this version of the truth, so she decided to make up her own.

"Detective Gordon is a good guy. Someone has to wipe the scum off the streets. Starting with you, Penguin." Jo uttered, her tone harsh and unforgiving. "I can't wait to see the look on your face when you finally admit defeat."

"That's another lie." Oswald straightened his posture and quickly put on a smug expression, despite the fact that Jo's words really were hitting him hard. "Just like the day you left, when you told me you were never going to leave me again. Then you just…disappeared."

Jo shook her head in disbelief. "Don't play that card, Oswald. You know I had no choice."

Frowning, Oswald's hand fumbled about in his jacket pocket before he took out a small velvet book; handing it to Jo with shaking hands and look that nearly resembled desperation. Confused, Jo carefully opened it to see the diamond ring inside, and she felt her heart stop briefly at the sight.

"See? I was going to propose to you that night. When I said I had plans for us, I wasn't lying." Oswald's lip trembled when he noticed Jo's expression soften. "And I'm not lying now when I say that I love you."

Hanging her head, Jo quickly closed the ring box and handed it back to Oswald. She couldn't bear to look at him, not when he was trying to repeat the past. Not when he was looking so pathetically at her. "I'm sorry I hurt you, but you have to understand that I needed to go. You have to understand now that I can't stay here."

Not wanting to see the look on his face, Jo turned to leave, but Oswald quickly grabbed her wrist.

"But I love you..!" Oswald protested, his desperation becoming evident. "It's always going to be you, Josephina."

"I know. That's what scares me." Jo glanced down at Oswald's hand, noticing how his grip was tightening.

"All of this was for you." Oswald insisted, still holding Jo firmly in place. "I just want you to be happy."

Jo smiled sympathetically. "Then let me go."

"No." Oswald shook his head; although he did release Jo's wrist from his grasp, worried that he'd hurt her. "I won't do anything to help Jim unless you agree to stay for a while."

She looked up at him suspiciously. "How long do you have in mind? A few weeks?"

"Three months." Oswald declared, staring hopefully at Jo.

A curt laugh slipped from Jo's lips. "I don't like Gordon that much. I'll give you one month, Oswald."

Oswald furrowed his brow and remained silent for a few moments, before he nodded somewhat begrudgingly – his expression almost resembling that of a spoilt child who wasn't getting his way. "Alright. But I'm going to convince you to stay indefinitely, I promise you that."

Deciding not to crush Oswald's hopes, Jo simply smiled. While her past self wouldn't have hesitated in shutting him down, Jo just couldn't bring herself to break him more than she already had done. It just seemed easier to let Oswald carry on clinging to that shred of hope that had helped get him through the worst of the storm. Even if letting him believe that there was a chance could've been the cruelest thing she could do.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N**

**Hello everyone! Well since the last chapter was published, I went to university and I like to think that I've managed to settle in okay. This just means that it'll take me longer to upload chapters for each of the fics I'm working on, and the ones on my tumblr account, so please be patient with me!**

**This chapter pretty much carries on from the last, in that Jo is trying to adjust to being back in Gotham. So please enjoy and leave a review if you have the time :)**

* * *

"I truly appreciate you bringing her home to me, Jim." Oswald glanced over at Jo, who had fallen asleep on the small loveseat by the fire. "Josephina's back where she belongs. With people who care about her."

Jim nodded, in understanding not in agreement, and looked over at Jo. He recalled his promise to her, that he'd help her leave Gotham again when it was all over, and that he'd wait outside until Oswald had finished. Except he evidently hadn't finished with Jo.

"You're free to leave Jim. Rest assured that I will see to it that you have your job back by tomorrow." Oswald smiled politely and beckoned for Butch to show the detective to the door, but Jim stopped him.

"I'm sorry Oswald, but I can't leave yet." He couldn't believe what he was doing. While Jo was undoubtedly capable of taking care of herself, Jim just couldn't bring himself to leave her alone with Oswald – not when they had such a dangerous history. The two of them together, they brought out the other's dark sides and Oswald really seemed to encourage Jo to act on impulse; even if that was probably unintentional on his part. Subsequently, Jim knew that leaving without Jo was a poor decision and that he would've regretted it in the long-term. Besides, Harvey would've never forgiven him if something happened to her.

Oswald followed Jim's stare to Jo and frowned, eyeing him suspiciously. "What do you mean? Josephina is perfectly fine here."

"She asked me to wait outside for her."

"What are you implying, Jim?" Oswald glared at the detective, clearly offended by what he was saying. "That Josephina – the love of my life – is afraid of me?" He chuckled wryly, "that's ridiculous. I would never harm her."

"You said that once before Oswald, remember?" Jo was now sat up on the sofa, glancing over the top at the two men behind her. "And you lied."

Oswald shook his head. "You know that that was a mistake. I never meant to hurt you."

"But you still did it, Oswald!" Jo exclaimed, walking over to him, even though she kept a few feet between herself and her estranged boyfriend. "You hit me over and over like I was just some punching bag. But that's not even the worst part; I can take a punch, I just can't get over the fact that you got inside my head. You violated my thoughts, you brought out the worst in me. I became a monster – a _murderer_ – because of you."

Jim could see the hurt in Jo's eyes and, despite the fact that she had committed her own fair share of misdeeds, he could tell that what she'd done was eating away at her. At least she was remorseful, unlike Oswald who had never once shed a tear for his victims. But for once, Oswald did look somewhat regretful for his actions…but was this only because Jo was at the centre of the situation?

It was apparent that Oswald only cared about two people: his mother and Jo, so his estranged girlfriend's refusal to stay with him due to her fear actually did make him consider his own path – if only for a minute or so.

"I agreed to stay in Gotham but _where_ in the city I'd be staying was never specified. And I don't want to stay in this house." Jo told Oswald firmly, moving to stand beside Jim.

"So where will you stay?" Oswald asked, fists clenched tightly. "I doubt Jim will be so accommodating to you, and you can't run back to Detective Bullock because he's moved on." There was a smug undertone to Oswald's voice as he informed Jo of one of the matters that Jim had decided to keep from her.

She furrowed her brow, but instead of turning to Jim to confirm this, Jo decided to put on a brave front. "I already know. Jim told me on the way over here." It was a lie of course, but Jo just didn't want Oswald to think that he'd won – that he was going to get her all to himself just because another man was unavailable. "And I'm happy for him." Again, another lie. Frankly, Jo was trying her hardest to keep it together at this point.

"Then where do you intend to stay, Josephina? You know it'd be far easier for you to stay here with me; you'd be safe and comfortable and we don't even have to sleep in the same room."

"No, thank you. I'll be fine." Jo hastily turned to leave and beckoned for Jim to follow her to the door.

"See you tomorrow, my dear..!" Oswald called after her, persistent in his efforts to win Jo back.

Frankly, despite her somewhat frosty reception of him, Oswald wanted Jo now more than ever. Being apart from her for a significant amount of time had given Oswald a lot of time to contemplate his past treatment of the aspiring actress – it almost repulsed him to think of all the torment his actions had put Jo through – which was why he was keen to set things right with her. In Oswald's mind, he owed Jo the world and they had to be together for him to truly redeem himself for those past transgressions.

However what Oswald didn't realise – or didn't want to accept – was that Jo simply wanted to forget and move on with her life. Yet her return to Gotham had put such a plan on hold.

* * *

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Harvey."

"It's fine." Jo smiled but Jim could tell in an instant that it was forced. "I mean, I told him to move on. I told him that he'd find someone better and he has." She shrugged, "at least we know he listens to someone."

Jim thought for a moment; he knew for a fact that his old partner really had held a candle for Jo, and that he still hadn't blown out that flame. While Jim thought Scottie was suitable for Harvey, he couldn't forget the way in which Harvey's face had always lit up at the mere mention of her. It was undoubtable that Harvey had loved Jo, more than any woman he'd ever loved before her. But did Jo even know that?

"What about Bruce?" Jo asked quickly, desperate to change the subject, but also keen to know how her half-brother was doing. "I can't believe I didn't ask about him sooner…"

"As far as I know, things have been fine. He's had Alfred to look out for him." Jim paused, unsure of how to break the news to Jo. So he decided to just outright tell her. "Your mother lives at Wayne Manor now."

Jo's eyes widened. "She what? That can't be right; Alfred hates her more than he hates me. How…?"

Jim shrugged, "I paid them a visit a few weeks ago and she was there baking in the kitchen."

"That sounds about right, actually." Jo mumbled staring out the window as they passed through town. "Could you drive me over there? Then you're free to leave me be and get a good night's sleep ready for when you're reinstated in the morning."

"Could I ask you for another favour first?" Jim asked, grimacing a little when he realised how rude it was of him to request yet another thing of Jo, after all that she had done already. "Since Harvey listens to you…"

* * *

Upon Jim's request, Jo ended up at the bar in which her ex-boyfriend worked. Normally she'd have refused, accusing Jim of taking advantage of her, but since it was Harvey she'd decided to help – if only because she knew how good a team the two detectives were.

Although small in size, the bar was packed with men seeking to forget their troubles; some staring distantly into their glasses while others were now slumped over the bar, drunk and defeated. Grimacing, Jo crossed the room, her heels echoing on the wooden floorboards as she tried to avoid making eye contact with the late-afternoon drinkers. When she reached the bar, Jo immediately caught sight of Harvey, his back to her as he stood cleaning the beer glasses that had been left there.

She decided to take a seat at the bar, ignoring the drunk man beside her that threw her a wink, and waited for Harvey to notice her.

"What can I get you?" He asked over his shoulder, setting the final glass down before he turned around to see Jo sitting there before him. "Jo. Wow I can't believe it. You must be pretty pissed off with me though."

Jo shrugged, "I did consider slapping you when I saw you. But now I just want to hug you." With a shaky smile, Jo reached her arms over the bar to wrap them around Harvey, and he gladly held her close for a minute or so.

It was as though nothing had changed. Despite the fact that both Jo and Harvey had moved on without the other, it was suddenly as though time had reversed, and that they hadn't been apart. But then Jo remembered that things couldn't go back to the way they were and she broke away, a certain sadness in her heart.

"I hear you've been doing well." Jo forced a smile, "a new girlfriend, right? I bet she's lovely."

Harvey nodded, "yeah, she is." He decided to avoid telling her that Scottie was more than his new girlfriend, unable to even comprehend the fact himself. "But enough about me, how've you been? You look great."

"Things have been good, it's just being back here…it brings back a lot of memories." Jo sighed. "I already went to see Oswald. You know, to sort out the debacle with Jim's job."

"Oh yeah? How'd that go?" Harvey felt himself tense up slightly at the thought of Jo back in her old lover's company; it was evident that he was now more unstable than ever, obsessed with maintaining his place on the throne. The ex-detective still cared about Jo after all.

Jo shrugged, "about as well as I expected. I'm stuck here for a month anyway so I'm sure he'll be seeing a lot more of me." She reached out to touch his arm, almost needing to feel him, if only for a second. "And so will you."

Harvey felt his heart stop momentarily at the feeling of Jo's soft hand on his arm and he couldn't help but stare deeply into her eyes, growing more and more desperate to close the space between them and to…

"You should go back to the GCPD, Harvey." Jo told him firmly, not moving her hand away. "Jim needs your help and this…this isn't what you're meant to do. You're a cop, it's in your blood."

"You sound just like James Gordon…" Harvey and Jo both turned to the side quickly, the latter placing her hand back on the bar as soon as she realised who the red-headed woman was. "I've already told him to stop trying to convince Harvey to give up his life for a badge and a gun."

Jo laughed dryly and turned to Harvey who quickly feigned a smile. "Jo, this is my girlfriend Scottie."

"I'm actually his fiancée." Scottie corrected him before taking a step closer to the bar, carefully observing Jo while she tried her best to comprehend the fact that Harvey – her ex-lover – was already engaged. "I'm sorry, Harvey never mentioned you before…Jo was it?"

Again, Jo threw Harvey a look; masking her slight disappointment behind a smirk. "That's right. I've been out of town for a while, but I'm back now. Let me buy you all a drink; I'd love to hear about your upcoming wedding."

* * *

The air in the room suddenly grew a lot thicker as Jo sat down with Harvey and Scottie at a table in the corner of the bar. While Harvey remained devout to being sober, Jo was quick to abandon her new habits and ordered the strongest drink that came to mind, really feeling bitter at the sight of the happy couple before her. And in that moment, after hearing Scottie retell stories of dates and how Harvey had saved his fiancée's life, her past alcoholism wasn't the only bad habit Jo found herself involuntarily falling back into.

"I still can't believe you're engaged Harvey." Jo's tone was oddly cheerful as she took a long drink from her bottle. "I mean, weren't you with that other girl a few months ago? You know, the performer…the one who looked like a model."

Scottie furrowed her brow at that and turned to Harvey. "You never mentioned her…"

"She was pretty hot too and she was definitely crazy about him." Jo chuckled slightly, not wanting to cause trouble but at the same time, she hated thinking that Harvey had moved on so quickly. That he'd been so desperate to erase every trace of Jo from his life.

"But she did cheat on me, remember Jo?" Harvey raised an eyebrow, deciding to play the game that his ex-lover seemed so intent on playing.

"How do you know that she did?" Jo stared straight at Harvey, really challenging him within their verbal sparring match. "Didn't you tell her to leave when she needed you?"

Harvey stood up at that and threw Scottie an apologetic look. "Jo, can I talk to you outside?"

"Fine, go for it." Jo stood up and took her bottle with her, following Harvey out the back door.

"What the hell are you playing it?!" He shouted, slamming the door shut as they stood in the empty alleyway just outside the bar. "You said you were happy for me, why did you go off like that in there!"

Jo shrugged and took a swig from her bottle. "She's not right for you…"

"And you are?" Harvey raised an eyebrow, trying to work out what had gotten into Jo to make her pull such a devious stunt. No, it was childish.

"Don't flatter yourself, Harvey." Jo scoffed. "I don't want us to get back together. I'm just doing what friends do; I'm pointing out that your fiancée's a controlling bitch and that this wedding you've got all planned out is a bad idea. Scottie is the type that digs her claws into you, then changes you into the very man you always vowed never to become."

"You don't know anything about her, Jo. She's a good woman. She's good-hearted and she's never broken the law. She listens to me and likes me just as I am."

At that, Jo glanced at Harvey with a raised eyebrow. "She won't let you go back to the GCPD. A job which you're good at and, as much as you hate to admit it, you love. You love the rush it gave you, you miss that excitement I can tell. But you also miss the notability that came with it; you miss the rewards and the praise and just knowing that you'd done some good at the end of the day."

"A lot's changed since you ran away, Jo." Harvey asserted, refusing to admit that Jo was actually right in the sense that his current career wasn't nearly as fulfilling. "It's not the best job but I'm sober and I've got a great girl to go home to. Scottie doesn't want me to go back because she cares about me. She stuck around; she didn't just jump back into bed with to her psychopath ex."

"Oh, okay." Jo nodded, her mouth open in shock as she absorbed Harvey's insinuation. "Right, so to you I'm just the scheming whore who gave you one night of pleasure. That's real nice Harvey, thanks for that."

When Harvey realised what he'd said, he grimaced slightly. "Listen, I didn't—"

"Save it. Just go back to your perfect fiancée and your perfect job because clearly you've moved on in the short space I was gone for." Jo turned to walk away but stopped to glance at the detective over her shoulder. "When I said you deserved to move on, I meant it. Just don't give up what you already had in the process. You're a cop Harvey, you'd do right to remember that."

Of course Jo wasn't proud of the tension she was already causing; she'd meant what she'd said when she'd proclaimed herself to be a changed woman, but just seeing Harvey and Scottie together like that really had gotten under her skin. Especially because Jo firmly believed that Scottie wasn't the right woman for him…even if she'd been forced to accept long ago that she wasn't right for him either.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N**

**Apologies for the fair amount of wait for this chapter, the history side of my degree has required a lot of my time at the moment so I'll probably be really inactive for a while. This chapter isn't as long as usual since I didn't want to have too many things going on at once but I have a feeling chapter 35 could be longer than most.**

**Thanks for reading thus far - please leave a review if you have the time, because they genuinely do encourage me to upload faster! :)**

* * *

Unsure of where else to go, Jo decided to brave the journey to Wayne Manor on her own in the first taxi she saw, desperate to clear her head and forget that she'd behaved so childishly despite her intention to maintain the new mask she'd created during her time away. It wasn't the ideal place to stay; especially with the danger she still potentially posed to her half-brother, but at this point Jo was out of options. She recalled how Jim had informed her of her mother's own relocation to the mansion as the cook and, while it unnerved her slightly to think that her mother was becoming so friendly with what was left of the family she almost destroyed, Jo felt happy to think that her mother hadn't been alone in her absence. That Alfred had more than lived up to his promise and had taken Nora under his protective wing – much like he'd taken on the responsibility of raising Bruce single-handedly.

Despite not having said it outright, Jo genuinely appreciated all that Alfred done to care for her loved ones; she knew that she owed him a lot and intended to be on her best behaviour to demonstrate her sincere respect for the butler. When Alfred answered the front door, he was beyond surprised to see Jo standing there; luggage in hand and a somewhat anxious pink smile in place.

"Hi…" Jo said after a moment of silence had passed, allowing Alfred to comprehend the reality of the situation. Of course he wasn't furious to see Jo back again even after she'd vowed to stay away; her reappearance was bound to cause some trouble, some tension, but he didn't resent her at all for coming home. How could he? She was Bruce's sister, after all. The only blood relative he had left.

"I hope you don't hate me for coming back here. I just…I didn't know where else to go…" Jo explained quietly, her tone sincere as she followed Alfred into the manor. "When I heard that my mom was here I just figured that I should pay a visit. But if now's an inconvenient time, I can come back and…"

Alfred shook his head. "You're welcome in this house anytime Miss Carnell." He paused, "although I have to ask why you're back here so soon."

Jo grimaced. "It's a long story. Detective Gordon came to ask a favour of me and…well how could I refuse? He's helping Bruce find out the truth behind his parents' deaths; I figured I should try to help in any way I can." Jo knew that, even if Alfred hadn't known the name Oswald Cobblepot prior to her leaving, he would've been fully aware of who the new self-proclaimed King of Gotham was at this point; hence why it seemed best to avoid revealing such a key detail.

"Josephina?" Nora emerged from the study, her face lighting up at the sight of her daughter. She immediately ran over to hug Jo, holding her tightly as though she feared she would run away again. "Oh my god, I've missed you so much. Why didn't you tell me you were…it doesn't even matter; I'm just so happy to see you."

Jo smiled sympathetically and allowed Nora to hug her for a prolonged amount of time. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you…"

"I'm your mother, it's my job to worry about you." Nora pulled back from the hug, looking over her daughter quickly. "You seem…different."

"I feel different." Jo glanced over at Alfred, desperate to convince him. "I _am _different. The time away did me good."

"Well so long as you're happy, how can I argue with that?" Nora beamed proudly and tucked Jo's hair behind her ear.

Feeling a little intrusive, Alfred announced that he was going to make some tea and left the mother and daughter alone in the hallway.

Nora lowered her voice as soon as Alfred closed the kitchen door. "Have you heard from Oswald since you got back..?"

Jo hesitated before nodding, her expression made it apparent that she was reluctant to discuss such matters with her mother; however who else could Jo really talk to about her situation? It wasn't like she had any friends to speak of…

"He's actually the reason I'm back; he pretty much told Detective Gordon that he'd get him reinstated at the GCPD if he brought me home. So here I am."

"You don't sound so pleased about that though…" Nora stated, attempting to mask her slight disappointment.

"It's not you, mom." Jo sighed. "It's Gotham. This city it…it brings out the worst in people. And I don't want to become that person again."

Nora remained quiet for a moment, allowing Jo's words to sink in, before she looked straight at her daughter with a deeply saddened expression. "You're not staying, are you?"

"Mom, it's not that—"

"So you're telling me that one day I'll find out from some other man you've slept with that you've ran away? Or will you just disappear completely this time and leave me to think the worst?"

"I know this isn't easy for you, but I was fine on my own; I got by every day without having to look over my shoulder. It was hard at times but…I…I survived. I'm sorry if that's hard for you to accept but it's the truth."

"Josephina, you don't know the half of it..!" Nora cried, her lip trembling as she desperately tried to get out all of the emotions that she'd kept bottled up since her daughter left…since her husband was killed. "You're my daughter, my only child. How can you expect me to just let you leave again? You never called me to tell me that you were okay; I didn't know if you were alive or dead and for weeks the thought that you could be out there in serious danger has been eating away at me. I'm your mother. I know I'm not perfect and I've never been as good a parent as your father but I've tried my best and I won't stop worrying about you." Nora was hurting, and Jo knew that; her pained expression made that despair visible and, although Jo really hated what she was doing, she knew that her mother couldn't know the whole story about what was going on. About what she'd done in the past. "If you had a child of your own then you'd be thinking differently right now. You'd know exactly how this feels."

Jo paused, and for a moment she appeared genuinely wounded, before feigning a sad smile. "Well maybe I'm just not cut out to be a mom then. Now I'm not going to argue about this with you. I'm better off away from here; you can choose to accept it if you want, I don't care. Now I'm going to go and say hello to Bruce, if you'll excuse me."

Unable to look at Nora, Jo immediately walked down the hallway and into the study where she knew she'd find her brother. Despite not being overt in her expression, Jo really had missed her mother and hated the obvious distress that she'd caused. However Jo also felt somewhat hurt by the exchange, because a lot had happened since she'd been away, even if she hadn't disclosed such matters.

* * *

Oswald hadn't moved from his 'throne' since Jo walked out. How could he?

She'd been back for barely an hour before she decided that the past – their past – was still taking its toll on her. Oswald knew he hadn't been entirely kind when they'd been together, he was aware of all the things he'd done to hurt Jo but he felt that being without her had been his punishment; their time apart had opened Oswald's eyes, he'd taken Jo for granted, he knew that now. But why couldn't she accept that?

Did she no longer love him?

No, Oswald refused to believe that. If Jo really did loathe Oswald, she wouldn't have come back to Gotham. She wouldn't have agreed to his terms, she would've gotten on the first bus out of town if she couldn't stand to be around him. That notion gave Oswald some hope.

It had always been Jo, it always would be.

See, despite her insistence that it was time for Oswald to move on, he knew he couldn't. Maybe he was a little addicted, a little too in love with Jo, but how could Oswald quit her just like that? Not when he'd worked so hard to be the man she wanted – no, deserved – to be with.

"She's the one, Gabe. The only woman I will ever love." Oswald uttered as he focused hard on the picture before him, the only photograph he'd had taken with Jo. "She's changed so much since then, but she still cares about me, I know it. Tomorrow I'll make her see, I'll make her realise that we belong together."

Gabe didn't say a word, only nodding in response to his boss' pondering, because he knew Oswald's ambition really was causing him to get carried away this time around. He just didn't want to be the one tell him that.

* * *

Knowing that Jo really was without a place to stay, Alfred had reluctantly allowed her to take a room in Wayne Manor for the time that she'd be in Gotham for. Well, it was more that Bruce had offered and Alfred had had no other choice but to accept the new living arrangements.

To celebrate, Nora had prepared dinner for the four of them and they had sat together as, well, a family of sorts. It was apparent to Alfred that Nora really was thrilled to have her daughter back and it was for that reason he had been trying hard to get along with Bruce's half-sister; he liked seeing Nora happy, especially since she'd become a foundation within Wayne Manor.

Then there was Bruce. Since Jo was his only remaining biological relative, Alfred knew that Bruce deserved the chance to spend time with Jo, before she left Gotham once more. Although Jo had undoubtedly had a colourful past, he really could tell that she was trying her best to change all that, to make up for her past transgressions and move on.

However, Alfred still couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something. That she was still a danger to Bruce, even with those she crossed long dead. Alfred's biggest fear was having Bruce harmed on his watch; he intended to protect Thomas and Martha Wayne's son with his life, which was why the butler couldn't help but search Jo's room when she went out the following morning. He just wasn't willing to take the risk.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N**

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated! I've been busy with uni and coursework lately but this has been accompanied by a dreadful sense of writer's block so I've been really slow in writing altogether tbh.**

**This chapter was originally much longer but it's 3000+ so I decided to trim it down a tad and save some things for the next one, which should hopefully be up soon-ish.**

**Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy and please leave a review if you have time :)**

* * *

1 Week Ago…

_"Miss Carnell, we're ready for you now."_

_Jo looked up from her magazine, before she nodded and followed the nurse into the room, her heart thudding with anticipation._

_It was a weird feeling, one that Jo never expected to encounter in her life. But also one that she was gradually coming to terms with._

_"Are you expecting anyone?" The nurse frowned when she noticed that Jo was on her own as she closed the door. "Could I call anyone for you?"_

_Without hesitating, Jo shook her head. "No, it's just me."_

_The nurse threw Jo a sympathetic look at that; while she'd met many women in her position, it was Jo's strong disposition that struck a chord within her – the way in which she presented herself with little sadness for her situation really surprised her. Even if, on the inside, Jo was terrified._

* * *

As promised, Jo did indeed return to Oswald's mansion that following morning.

And as he'd vowed to Gabe, Oswald was trying incredibly hard to prove himself to his estranged girlfriend.

Upon her arrival, Oswald was quick to invite her to take a seat and asked Butch to bring the pair something to drink, to which Jo declined hastily. Although Oswald was clearly making an effort, Jo's mind seemed to be elsewhere, as it had done during their previous reunion – such a thing breaking Oswald's heart.

"Would you care to accompany me to a gala tonight? It's a charity event and I heard there will be a magician present." Oswald beamed happily. "You could go with Butch and choose an outfit to wear…my treat, of course."

Jo shook her head. "You can go, I don't really feel like it."

"Well how about a quiet evening together, just the two of us." Oswald suggested, furrowing his brow when Jo didn't immediately reply with a smile. "Is something troubling you, Josephina?"

"You don't have to put on this act, you know. We both know you're not some charitable guy, Oswald. You never were, even before your 'coronation.'"

"That…that's not true. I always gave you gifts: the diamond necklace, the flowers, the dresses…the engagement ring, which you still haven't accepted."

"Oswald, you can't buy me." She muttered, avoiding his gaze – as well as the matter of his marriage proposal. "Maybe I led you on back then because I liked being spoiled, but none of that matters to me now. I'm a better person."

Oswald nodded somewhat begrudgingly, deciding to accept what Jo was saying without raising his voice; such a display would've surely caused her to leave again after all. "A quiet night in. No gifts, no onlookers. Just you and me and a nice meal. Please?"

Reluctantly, Jo nodded in acceptance to Oswald's rather desperate offer. Frankly, she could tell that he was really reaching out to her, that he wanted to go back to the way things once were, and she was slowly starting to pity him for that.

"Perfect!" An eager smile spread across Oswald's face and he beckoned Gabe closer to the table, whispered something in his ear and then dismissed him. Jo furrowed her brow at the way in which he seemed so willing to please his employer – then there was Butch. She'd been quick to note that something was off there; Butch had been ever-loyal to Fish so why was he now always by Oswald's side, like an obedient dog keen to serve his master.

Jo glanced over and saw Butch standing in the corner of the room, quiet as if lost in thought or rather, longing to be elsewhere. "Is Butch okay?"

"Of course he is." Oswald forced a reassuring smile even if his tone of voice was clearly false. "You're alright, aren't you Butch?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Butch nodded in response, but the look in his eyes didn't match those words and Jo could tell.

"How'd you get him to work for you?" Jo asked in a hushed tone.

"I have my ways…" Oswald shrugged as though it were nothing.

But Jo frowned; she knew Oswald all-too well and was aware that his 'ways' generally incorporated forceful persuasion.

"Butch, could you excuse us?" Oswald nodded towards the door, tensing up somewhat when he realised that Jo could indeed see straight through his façade. "I swear, I inflicted no harm upon him."

"But you didn't do anything to help him, did you? He's a good guy…"

"Can I interest you in anything to eat, my dear?" Oswald asked quickly, deciding to change the subject before Jo ended up finding out more than she had to. So much had happened in her absence, but he didn't want her to find out every single detail. Most of his transgressions had happened long ago, they were no longer relevant right?

But Jo declined without so much as a second thought. "I think I'll hold off until dinner tonight. I promised mom I'd help her take care of a few things."

"Is there anything I could do?"

"No." Jo shook her head, her tone defensive, until she realised that Oswald was only asking in the hopes of proving his worth. "No, don't trouble yourself. I'd rather you make sure things are perfect here for our evening together."

Seemingly content with her answer, Oswald smiled and stood up to see Jo to the door. But when he tried to kiss her goodbye, Jo was quick to turn to leave, not looking back until she'd left the estate. Even though a part of her had wanted that kiss. Deep down, Jo was desperate to get close enough to the fire, even if she was determined to avoid getting burned.

* * *

When Jo arrived home, Alfred ensured that Bruce was helping Nora prepare lunch in the kitchen and would be preoccupied while he had a much-needed conversation with his half-sister. She was quick to head up the stairs upon noticing Alfred at the end of the hallway, but the butler stopped her and requested her company in the study instead, to which Jo reluctantly accepted.

"If you're going to kick me out, you can just say." She told Alfred quickly, watching as he poured two cups of tea with an unusually quiet disposition. He set the cup down and sat on the sofa opposite Jo, awkwardly avoiding her gaze. "What's going on? Is it Bruce, or my mom?"

"No, they're both fine." Alfred cleared his throat. "I'd actually like to talk about you."

"What about me?" Jo asked somewhat cautiously as she took a quick sip of tea, a sense of dread building. "I'm not a big fan of tea but this is good Alfred…"

Alfred knew she was stalling and that she felt somewhat uncomfortable under his stare, but he also knew he couldn't ignore what he'd seen in her room. Even if it wasn't the easiest thing to ask. But what Alfred had seen among Jo's belongings had been too significant to ignore; in fact, it both changed and explained so much. It explained Jo's visibly solemn behaviour, the reluctant way in which she had left for Oswald's mansion, but also the fact that she had revealed little about her time away other than her budding theatrical career. Then there was no doubt that such a bombshell would've changed so much.

"I'm afraid I can't think of any other way to say this Jo…" Alfred reached into his blazer pocket and took out a small photograph, which he placed on the coffee table before Jo.

"A baby scan? My mom isn't pregnant is she?" Jo laughed a little, although it was apparent that it was forced, a cover for her inner anxiety. Especially since she knew Alfred was no fool.

"Jo, don't play this game. We both know whose this is – what this means."

"It's not mine." Jo said casually with a smile, taking another sip of tea. "And even if it is, what's it got to do with you?"

Alfred inhaled deeply, already understanding that getting the truth out of Jo was going to be a lot harder than he'd initially anticipated – and he'd expected a struggle from the get-go. "You're Thomas Wayne's daughter, Master Bruce's sister, and so I feel it's my duty to look out for you. If your father was here…"

"He's not my father. Donald Carnell was my father." Jo told him firmly. "And if Thomas Wayne was here I wouldn't be in this house, he wouldn't give a damn. He had twenty-four years to reach out to me and he didn't."

Alfred knew in that moment that Jo was hurting. Despite the fact that she had always acted aloof to the entire situation regarding her parentage, the tone that Jo used in that moment indicated a hidden fragility. It also had to be said that Jo did care for Bruce, Alfred had watched the way she'd interacted with him and she had always made sure to wear a smile around him – while also making Bruce smile almost effortlessly.

"It doesn't matter anyway. There's no baby, I lost it."

Jo's words came crashing down on Alfred. While what she had said had been shocking, it was the casual nature which she had revealed such a secret to him. Once again, Jo was putting on a mask to hide her true emotions. Alfred refused to believe that Jo didn't feel anything for the loss, because he'd seen how kind she was when she was with Bruce. She had nobody she could turn to, nobody she could trust. That was why Alfred made the quick decision to take on that role. Of course he wasn't Jo's number one fan but he did pity her; it was evident that she'd had far from an easy life after all. "If you need any support…anything at all, please just ask and I shall try my best. I apologise for invading your privacy but you can understand my concern…" Alfred paused, watching as Jo hung her head, hiding her face from him. "I know it's not my place but you should speak with Nora about this. And also the father."

"You think I should tell my mom? I'm not having a baby, Alfred, what would be the point in upsetting her?" Jo shrugged, "and if you think I'm telling the father, you're insane." She quickly glanced in Alfred's direction with a look of vulnerability on her face that he had never seen before. "Nobody else can know about this."

"Nora just wants what's best for you. She has a right to know and so does the father." He paused, averting his gaze from Jo, who became silent at that. "Who was the father?" Alfred asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. Nora had told him all about Jo's turbulent relationship with Oswald Cobblepot, as well as her brief fling with Detective Bullock, so he actually possessed a decent enough idea as to who had gotten Jo pregnant.

"I'm not going to talk about this now. Or…or ever." Jo stood up quickly and headed towards the door. "There was a kid, now there's not. That's all you need to know. Thanks for this little intervention but I am fine, or at least I will be when I leave this city."

* * *

Since her conversation with Alfred had come to an abrupt end, Jo's head was still spinning. She hadn't expected to have her secret uncovered so soon but, although she'd acted offended by the butler's poking around, Jo understood why he'd felt it necessary. Leopards didn't change their spots, people rarely changed, and Jo's willingness to become a better person wasn't enough. Sure, she'd attempted to sever her ties to the criminal underworld, but Oswald was still a prominent figure in her life. She was still wading in those deep waters, trying to find the shore. She was still telling lies in order to protect herself.

Like a stubborn teenage girl, Jo had instead retreated to her temporary bedroom; deciding to start getting changed for her evening with Oswald. Jo hadn't realised how little she'd packed in her hurry to leave with Jim Gordon; only a few blouses and skirts had been thrown into her luggage, and none of them nice enough for whatever dinner arrangements Oswald had planned. She already knew he was going to go to extreme lengths to prove that he still cared; nothing was ever simple or subtle with him, especially when it came to Jo.

A knock on the door brought Jo away from her thoughts and she reluctantly decided to accept the company. "Come in..!"

Nora opened the door with a typically gentle smile and a plate of cookies. "Alfred said you weren't feeling too well…"

"I'm just a bit tired." Jo feigned a somewhat reassuring look, not wanting to cause Nora any more concern.

"Well, I brought these. I know you're always obsessing over your figure but perhaps you could treat yourself every now and then?" Nora set the plate down on the dresser before she joined Jo on the bed. "You're not a kid anymore, I get it, but you're still my daughter. It's my job as your mom to worry and be a little…overbearing at times. If there was something troubling you, you would tell me wouldn't you?"

"Of course." Jo nodded quickly, before deciding to throw her mother a bone. It was better than some of the other truths she could've shared with her. "It's just…Oswald invited me for dinner later. I'm just trying to find something to wear."

"Oh? Are you and Oswald back together?" Nora asked, a surprised tone to her voice. "Not that it would be a bad thing if it would make you happy…it's just…he has been in the papers a lot recently. Although it could all just be speculation, I mean, he did seem like such a lovely gentleman."

"It's not a date, mom." Jo insisted, despite the fact that she knew exactly how Oswald perceived the evening ahead of them. "Just a meal between…old friends."

Nora didn't appear wholly convinced by this but still, she smiled, because so long as Jo was happy it didn't matter what Oswald was to her. "Well I hope you enjoy it."

"What're you going to do tonight? Tea in the study with Alfred?" Jo raised an eyebrow as her lips curled into a slight smirk.

"What's with that tone?" Nora chuckled to mask her slight embarrassment. "Actually, he and Bruce are going to a charity event tonight. They invited me but I don't really fancy it."

Jo pouted, "aw, why not? You could go and flirt a little…it's obvious you have a thing for him."

Nora sighed, "I'm sure he doesn't like me back. I did blackmail his late employer after all."

"So? You've turned over a new leaf, we both have." Jo thought for a moment.

"I don't know…it's been a while since I went to a large event…I don't even have anything flashy enough to wear."

"Tell you what, you go down there and tell your British man candy you've changed your mind and then you and I will go shopping in town. My treat."

"You don't have to do that, Josephina…" Her eyes widened when Jo took out her purse. "Where did you…?"

"Relax, it's not stolen nor did I have to take my clothes off for it. I did a few small acting jobs and stopped drinking so I could save up. So, are you in?"

Nora thought for a moment, evidently reluctant to accept Jo's offer. She already knew that she was out of Alfred's league and so would've felt somewhat out of place at such an event…but it had also presented her with an opportunity to spend time with her daughter. It had been so long since they'd been to town, just the two of them, so Nora knew it would've been foolish of her to decline. All she'd ever wanted was to rekindle their relationship and now the time had finally come to do so.

* * *

While Jo knew it was inevitable that she'd end up at Oswald's that night, that he'd shower her with flattery and put on that certain chivalry that she hadn't been able to refuse yet, she wanted to put off their evening for as long as possible. Instead, she decided to go for a walk in the hopes of clearing her head; she wanted to make sense of the crazy situation she'd found herself in, now more than ever. But her inner turmoil brought her to Harvey's door.

She could hear him inside, talking to Scottie as the radio played in the background. Despite herself, Jo knocked on the door and waited; she just wanted to see his face, hoping that it'd help her to come clean about the feelings she'd bottled up. Yet, much to Jo's upset, Harvey appeared to be far from pleased to see her. It was like Jo was now an inconvenience, as opposed to the great source of joy she had once been to the detective.

"What is it now?" He grumbled, glancing behind him back into the apartment. "Won't be a minute sweetheart, just something to do with work." Then he stepped onto the hallway and closed the door, reluctantly making himself available to listen to what Jo had to say.

"Am I some dirty little secret now?" Jo joked, nodding towards the door. "Can't even invite me inside because you're scared I might say something to your fiancée. I didn't think I was so embarrassing."

"Jo, why are you here?" Harvey asked, somewhat frustrated by her sudden reappearance in his life. "Now isn't a good time. Me and Scottie are having a quiet night in."

"It won't take long." Jo insisted, her voice quiet. "I just…I wanted to apologise for the other day. I was out of line and if Scottie makes you happy then I should just accept that. I want us to be friends, Harvey."

Harvey smiled half-heartedly, almost pitying Jo in that moment. But he didn't have the time for her, not with his fiancée waiting inside, even if a part of him wanted to go back in time. "It's fine, don't stress about it."

"Harvey…?"

"What Jo?" Harvey grimaced. "I hate to kick you out but…I gotta go."

There were so many things that Jo wanted to say – that she _needed_ to tell him – but she chose to ignore them instead. It was clear that Harvey was too busy to hear them; he'd moved on and was happy, she couldn't stand in the way of that.

"It's nothing." She forced a small smile. "Sorry I bothered you."

But as soon as Harvey went inside and closed the door, Jo found herself close to tears at the realisation that, whatever relationship she'd once had with the detective, had ended long ago. It wasn't even jealously at watching him settle down with another woman that was preying on Jo's mind, it was knowing that he'd moved on so quickly. Especially now that she truly needed him.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N**

**Apologies for the very long gap in writing, idk what's been wrong with my creativity atm but I've been in a writing mood since I finished uni so here is a brand new chapter! Hoping to get Smile For Me up soon too!**

**While I do have a direction in mind for this fic, I'd love to hear what you guys would like to see happen next? Reviews are always welcome!**

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Elsewhere across town, Oswald was growing impatient. He'd been sat at his table with a lavish spread of foods before him for almost an hour, waiting for Jo to show up at the door.

"Boss, should I go and bring her in?" Gabe asked, deciding to break the serious silence upon realising how Jo's absence was affecting the crime lord.

Despite his want to say yes, Oswald declined the offer; knowing that having Jo brought to him, instead of her coming on her own free will, would have quickly pushed her away. If Oswald was certain of anything regarding Jo's character, it was that she hated to be forced. Forcing Jo back into his arms would've only made things worse. So he continued to wait.

Eventually, Jo did turn up. She was feeling both hurt and angry but nonetheless she made her way to Oswald's because she knew she had to. And maybe, unconsciously, because she wanted to be with someone who actually wanted her there. Oswald may have intimidated Jo, essentially blackmailing her to join him, but at least he wanted her.

"Sorry I'm late." Jo quickly changed into a smile as she entered the room, if only to make up for the fact that she was nearly two hours late.

However, Oswald shook his head and beamed happily. "Nonsense. Please take a seat."

Somewhat confused by Oswald's lack of frustration towards her, Jo cautiously joined him at the table, her eyes wandering to the spread before them.

"Can I get you anything, boss?" Gabe asked, also puzzled by Oswald's unusual behaviour.

"No thank you, Gabe. You may leave." Oswald replied quickly, just wanting to be on his own with his estranged lover.

"Again Oswald, I'm really sorry I wasn't here sooner…" Jo glanced down at her lap, avoiding Oswald's stare. "I had a few things to take care of."

Oswald touched Jo's hand, desperate to feel her soft warmth. "Please don't apologise. You're here now, that's all I want."

With that, Jo found herself involuntarily smiling at Oswald's words. In that moment, it was as though they had gone back in time; Oswald's gentle words of flattery that had never failed to make her blush, to make her feel desirable.

"That's really all you want?" Jo raised an eyebrow, testing Oswald just a tad. "Just my company?"

Oswald chuckled, shaking his head partly in embarrassment. "Truthfully? No. I desire more than that but…this is good. Just to share an evening with you – no strings attached – is more than enough for the time being. Rome wasn't built in a day after all." He reached into his pocket somewhat apprehensively and took out a ring box, placing it on the table before her. "Although I would like to discuss the future…our future. I still very much want you to be my wife. I-If you'll have me."

Jo couldn't help but consider the offer. She hated herself for doing so; it just proved that she really did have a soft spot for her ex, even after all that he had done. She knew that change was an impossible feat for Oswald to ever achieve but maybe, just maybe, she could help steer him along the right path. Just like she'd done herself. If he loved her enough he'd be willing to try…wouldn't he?

Besides, Oswald was now a figure of importance in Gotham, royalty so to speak. He could provide for Jo, protect her from harm in a world that was gradually becoming more and more dangerous. Even if her life had been just as at risk when they'd been together in the past.

Suddenly the sound of gunshots on the tv caught Jo's attention, acting as a welcome distraction, and her eyes widened when she saw the display before her. "Oh my god, Oswald turn it up."

On the screen flashed images of the charity gala, well-dressed people were sat at their tables, trembling with fear as a red-headed boy stood on the stage laughing manically – with Bruce as his hostage.

"Well he's clearly not thought this hostage situation through. It's all very sloppy wouldn't you agree?"

But Jo wasn't listening to Oswald, instead focusing on her brother, and the scared look in his eyes. Her only blood relatives, her mother and Bruce, were at that gala, and it terrified her.

"Josephina?" Oswald looked over at her but saw no recognition on her face. "What's wrong?"

Jo slowly turned to face him, her eyes wide and complexion paling. "I have to go…I have to help them…"

Oswald chuckled, "don't be ridiculous dear, there's nothing you can do to stop that…that…maniac."

"My family is in there." Jo told him firmly. "My mom's only there because I convinced her to go. I have to do something."

"Please do not worry my sweet dove. I guarantee Detective Gordon will already be there. Your mother will be alright, I promise you." Then Oswald wrapped his arm around Jo and pulled her close, her head against his chest as he inhaled her familiar sweet scent. "I won't let anything bad happen."

In that moment, Jo felt relaxed. Protected. It was all she wanted, especially with the secret she was carrying.

"Sorry to intrude on this perfect scene…" A rough voice caused Jo to instantly pull away from Oswald and she turned towards the door, where Harvey was standing with a look that was somewhere between frustration and hurt.

"Detective Bullock, what a pleasant surprise." Oswald feigned a smile, despite the fact that Jo's receptive demeanour towards him had instantaneously shifted upon the detective's arrival. "Can I help you with anything?"

Harvey took a few steps into the room, although his eyes were fixed on Jo. "Just a few things I need to say to you, but inappropriate with a lady present." He half expected Jo to respond to that, but she was focused on the tv, barely even conscious of what was going on around her.

"Is Detective Gordon at the gala, Harvey?" She asked, desperate to know if her mother and brother would be found safe."

"Yeah he is…" Harvey looked at Jo. "Something wrong?"

Jo turned to Oswald, "I'm sorry. I can't sit here and do nothing." She then faced Harvey, "you can take me there right? I know I'm asking a lot but…"

Harvey knew from the look on Jo's face that this was tormenting her. Then he realised why: Bruce was in there. And how could he have said no? He'd never been able to say no to her.

"Sure. The car's outside, I'll be a minute." Harvey gestured towards the door, although he still had business with Oswald.

When Jo saw Oswald's hurt expression, she admittedly felt somewhat guilty. But she needed to see to it that her only living family were alright. "I hope you understand that I have to go."

Quickly, Oswald managed a small smile to mask his disappointment. He knew that being frustrated would've pushed Jo further away. Besides, he'd have done the same if his mother was in danger.

"It's alright, you will call me though? So I know that everything's alright…"

Jo nodded and grabbed her handbag before leaving the room quickly.

While Jo never got to hear what words Harvey had for Oswald, she could only assume that they were of a hostile and threatening nature. Harvey's disposition when he joined her in the car suggested as much.

"Everything okay?" She asked somewhat timidly when he climbed into the driver's seat of the old car.

"Yeah, great." Harvey muttered in response before turning on the ignition. For a while, the pair sat in silence as Harvey drove through the busy city streets, unsure of what to say to one another. Unsure of where they stood in the other's opinion. "So are you and Penguin back together?"

Jo shook her head, "no. We were just meeting as old friends."

"Well you seemed a bit close for comfort when I walked in…"

"Does it matter?" Jo asked, "you're with Scottie so it's none of your business who I spend my time with."

"You're not still bitter about that, are you? You know I couldn't wait for you – you told me to move on!"

"Oh please, I'm not jealous. I couldn't care less where you stick your dick." Jo scoffed, before muttering under her breath, "at least make sure you use protection…"

"What?" Harvey frowned, hearing exactly what Jo had said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jo rolled her eyes; she was fully aware that she was behaving like a brat but didn't care. The truth was that she was annoyed with Harvey; he'd moved on so quickly and had been cold towards her since her return. Even so, she couldn't tell him. It would've been out of spite and nothing more.

Smiling sarcastically she turned to look out the window. "Just a friendly suggestion, you know?"

The remainder of the journey was indeed a silent one, and when they arrived and saw Nora, Bruce and Alfred standing by one of the ambulances, Jo flew out of the car without so much as a second thought.

Leaving her handbag in Harvey's car.

* * *

What with all the commotion, Harvey hadn't even noticed the brown leather bag in his car. In fact, it was Scottie who noticed the item first when she and Harvey were driving out to lunch the following afternoon. "What's this Harvey?"

"Hm?" Harvey looked over to where his fiancée held the handbag in her lap. "Oh I was driving a witness home last night. She must've left it in the car."

"Well you should return it straight after our date." Scottie insisted, peeking inside the open bag. "Oh how cute…"

"What's cute?" He asked, puzzled by Scottie's words. She took out the slightly crumpled photo that was at the top of the bag; having been carelessly shoved in their by Jo following her talk with Alfred.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what the photo meant. It explained so much; why Jo was acting so…differently, and why she'd agreed to return without a fuss. Why she was suddenly so interested in family values and morality and starting anew.

Jo was having a child – and there was a high chance that Harvey was the father.


End file.
